Vampires Will Never Hurt You
by RavynJaganshi
Summary: Dracula has been a villain and figure of fear for centuries. Now, he searches for one of his bloodline. He finds her, but what does he want with her and why?
1. Blood Bond

In the year 1394, a great warlord and count named Vladmirious Draculia rose to power. He was a strong ruler, perhaps too strong, for he was far harsher than his predecessors.

When in his prime, he returned from a war to find his lover dead from suicide. In his rage at the title "damned" the clergy had placed upon her, he pierced the cross in the church and drank the blood that gushed from it. He was later sentenced to death for crimes against his own people and his church.

They didn't realize that he never died.

Two years after the incident, 1403, Count Draculia returned, assumably from the dead, to take revenge. He was often injured - what would have been fatal to a normal human - and survived, always escaping before dawn. His people tried for generations to find out his secrets to immortality, to discover his weakness, but they continually failed. Finally, after ten generations, Dracula simply disappeared. The citizens of Transylvania came to believe that they had won. They wove epic tales of Dracula's defeat and told them to their children before bed.

But they never knew the truth.

Away in his castle, Dracula was finding the one person related to him by blood. His damned blood. He knew that the legendary Van Helsing had taken his blood and created an offspring. He had supposedly raised this child and taught it to feed cautiously off of animals and willing humans who promised not to talk. The very thought annoyed Dracula. He knew whatever demonic power had given a bit of itself to him would not be so easily overcome. Training control was just the start.

For 600 years, Dracula traced his bloodline until he found a match on a DNA test site. Though the woman subsequently died, her daughter, a girl named Leila Sarikma, was a direct descendant.

"I think I'll have to pay her a visit." Dracula mused to himself.

He smiled and made his way to the city of Samoilacry.

Dracula soon found himself in the large city, the barely rising sun burning his eyes. As he watched it, he thought about humans' misconceptions, how they had somehow confused light sensitivity with burning into a pile of ashes. But he shook the thought, remembering that he was there for a reason.

According to his information, which was rarely wrong, Leila worked as a writer and part-time actress. She was in the middle of a play run and scheduled to visit Dracula's castle to gather information and get a feel for a new story she was writing, but he couldn't help but want to see this born vampire before then.

He ventured to Leila's apartment and found that, despite the early hour, she was up and typing furiously on her old, beat up computer. She had it set up on an equally shabby black plastic desk and was sitting, slightly hunched, in a matching chair of the same condition. She was wearing jeans and a black tank top that disappeared under the flow of long black hair that had a slight curl. It was obvious that she was inside a lot by looking at her white skin and the thickness of her constantly moving hands was emphasized by her purposely short cut nails and large gold watch she wore with the face on the inside of her wrist.

What struck Dracula the most, though, was her face. She had his fair features; a gentle nose, full lips, almond-shaped eyes, high eyebrows and an oval face - a spitting female image of himself - but eyes of a gold-green shade that held an inhuman depth. She was obviously tired, judging by her drooping eyelids and the light bags under her eyes, but she continued typing at the same insane pace, pausing occasionally when searching for words.

Suddenly, she whirled to face the window. Her brows furrowed, mouth in a straight line, she studied the sunrise, not seeing Dracula. Then she started typing again, not even having to look at the keyboard. Then she turned back, a worried look on her face.

"That's odd..." Dracula heard her whisper to herself.

Her voice was beautiful. It was mellow, dark, but still recognizably female and had just a hint of the softness of a Dalmatian accent. He loved the sweet bite of the sound, laced with a touch of fear and worry.

(Leila's POV)

I could have sworn I saw someone out there. A figure clothed in black, staring in intently, but when I turned, nothing was there. I stared, continuing to type. Then I remembered what floor I was on.

_Twelfth floor, idiot. No one would climb that high. I must be really tired..._ I thought to myself, returning all my attention to the screen.

For some reason, though, I couldn't seem to shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I tried to put it from my mind, but I kept shivering. I then realized that my window was open. I walked over, closed it, then went to get my sweatshirt. I really felt something was wrong now.

I didn't remember opening the window.

(Dracula's POV)

I was careful to wait until her typing got louder, then slipped inside. I wasn't able to close it since she now looked directly at where I stood. She couldn't see me, though. I appeared as nothingness, air to her. She closed the window and left the room. I glided over to her desk and read what she wrote.

_"The pain was excruciating. Rhea writhed and screamed in agony as the blood of the damned crawled through her veins like poison. She could feel her life slipping away, even under the mask of pain. She grabbed for something- anything that might anchor her to the life she had. She found a hand and clung to it like a drowning child, but when the pain receded and she looked up, she flung herself away in horror."_

I chuckled inwardly. Such dark writing for this woman who had never experienced such pain. I find humans so terribly amusing. They think they know everything, so that automatically gives them the right to show off how little they do know. At least she was right about one thing; the turning could be painful. Some died and others had their hair turn pure white from the shock of the blood that recomposed their entire system.

Leila walked in with a large black sweatshirt on. I pulled away as she sat down and continued typing. She went back and read the last page she typed, making adjustments here and there, then looked at the time, yawned, and went to bed. I smiled and left.


	2. The Theatre

Recap: Dracula pays Leila a visit and reads her writing. She suspects someone's there, but ignores it and goes back to sleep. Dracula leaves. Okay?

(Leila's POV)

I dragged myself out of the realm of dreams at about seven after another tiring nightmare. Sometimes I wonder if I'd be better off just not sleeping at all - I always woke up so tired. I had had these dreams since I first could tell the difference between my dreams and reality. They were all based around one man. He was tall, pale skinned, with dark hair and eyes, a strong but pleasant face, and a lean muscled build. He resonated power itself, but, even after all those years, I was never quite sure if I feared him or not. He also had an aura of loving and comfort that I had only ever felt from my late mother.

He always seemed to appear from nowhere and called me by name, though I rarely spoke to him. I always wondered why and how he had discovered my name. He once said I knew him - or _would_ know him - but I never got a name from him.

"Your name is Leila Zoë. Do you know what that means?" He asked.

"No."

"It means "a life dark as the night." You were destined for this."

"For what?" I asked aloud as I sat up in bed.

I flopped back on the pillows, realizing that it had been a dream. I had dozed off, forgetting to get out of bed after hitting the alarm off and getting warm again. There was only one real problem I had with Samoilacry; the cold. I loved the climate and the rain, but the cold was biting. I glanced at the clock and sighed. Seven thirty. Thank goodness.

I hurriedly got ready and got to work. I was in the middle of a run of a play called "The Runaway." I played the main character, Crystal. She was sort of a southern girl, with a slight accent, and a modern twenty-year-old who had had some major relationship problems. I got to unleash quite a bit.

"Take the roses back!" I said to Ciaran, one of the actors. "I don't want 'em. You keep givin' me all these things and takin' me out to dinner and actin' all sweet. Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. Quit lookin' at me like that! Man, I keep pushin' and pushin' you away, and you keep comin' back like some little puppy dog. What's the matter with you? Can't you take a hint? Why don't you go away?"

"Because I love you."

"No. Don't say that. You don't love me! Guys always pull that crap and the next thing I know-" I sighed. "Look, I've been around the block, okay? And every time I get burned. Every time. I don't need that again, thank you. So just do me a favor and leave now before somethin' messed up happens. I mean it. Go. I hate you. I hate you! 'Cause I'm fallin' for you, and I'm scared okay?"

"What are you scared of?"

"I'm scared to death that you're gonna hurt me..." Ciaran looked at me intently.

"Why? You know I'd never hurt you."

"It's not that I-"

"Look, I'm starting to think you don't want this to happen."

"No, that's not it. Listen, there's somethin' I have to tell you. It was a few years ago. There was this little girl who was walkin' across the street-"

"You're getting away from the point, Crys. This has nothing to do with us."

"It has everythin' to do with us if you'd just listen. She was walkin' across the street and she got hit by some drunk man in this beat-up, old truck. He slammed into her so hard that her body rolled over the truck and landed on the pavement behind him. It took her years to recover and find the courage to even stand at the curb again. Well, there you are on one side of the street, and I'm on the other. And all you can see is that I'm not standin' next to you. But I want so badly to trust that you won't hurt me, to be with you, that I've managed to walk halfway across that street. If you'd stop for one minute to consider how hard - how terrifyin' that is for me, there'd be no way you could ever doubt that I love you."

"Alright, that's good for now." Ace, our stage manager/producer/director said. "Let's go over the dance sequence at the end."

We all assembled in our various practice outfits and the orchestra began to play.

We ran the dance a few times before some of our chorus but non-dancers started getting tired. Ace stopped us, telling us to take a break, but I asked Adam, one of the dancers, if he'd help me work out a part that I was supposed to do with the love interests (that being the many men who hurt Crystal).

"Sure. What part?"

"Before she meets Simon."

"Oh, that. No sweat. 5, 6, 7, 8."

We started to dance a rather sensual, trance-like slithering that ends with Simon, or his dancing double, raising me over his head. Adam dropped me.

"Oh, god. Are you alright, Lei?" He asked, kneeling by me.

"Yeah. I just can't sit for another week or so." I replied sarcastically, lying on my stomach, rubbing my bum.

"Sorry. I didn't expect you to be so heavy."

"Really? They say muscle weighs more than fat."

"I know that. Now that I know how heavy you are, you want to try again?"

"Sure. From the toss. 5, 6, 7, 8."

He tossed me, then picked me up again as something in the audience caught my eye. Adam had me on his shoulders and I leaned down his back and used my head as leverage and grasped his hips to flip over behind him, then gazed into the audience.

"I don't recall the staring being in there." Adam said, turning.

"Sorry. I got distracted. Were there supposed to be talent scouts here today?"

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"There's a man out in the house. I don't recall seeing him here before."

"Whatever. You seem pretty solid. I have to go."

"Cool. See you tomorrow."

(Dracula's POV)

I watched the fool drop her and run to apologize. They went over the part again and spoke briefly before he left. I saw Leila put on the skirt that she had had tied around her waist over a black leotard. She went to the ballet bar and did some cool down stretches with inhuman flexibility before turning to face where I was.

"Did you need something, sir?" She called.

I walked up to her, not wanting to give myself away just yet. I knew she had seen me in her dreams, but it was dark in the audience and the spotlights were shining brightly in her eyes. Thankfully, I had remembered my hat.

"You are Leila Sarikma, yes?" I asked.

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"I just came to see a rehearsal. You are very talented."

"Thank you, Mr. -?"

"Please, call me Vladmirious."

"As in Draculia?" She asked, smiling, a thicker Dalmatian accent showing through.

"Yes. You say that with an accent."

"And you say _everything_ with an accent." She laughed to show her joke. "It's in my heritage. It was one of my favorite stories as a child. But I assume you are of a different name?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you that information."

"Ah. So are you some pseudo hit man, hired by one of my colleagues to kill me?"

"You say that so comfortably."

"Perhaps. So?"

"No. I'm just a spectator."

"Well, it was nice to have met you. However, I'm afraid I have to get going. Good-bye." She said stiffly, ending the conversation abruptly.

Leila went backstage and disappeared out the back door. I smiled and followed after her. This was getting interesting.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I take no credit for the monologues. I found them both in a book and decided to use them. The only part credited to me is the fill-ins and the transitions from one to the next.


	3. Transylvanian Advetures pt 1

Recap: Leila goes to a rehearsal for "The Runaway" and meets Dracula there. They talk a bit and Leila runs off. Dracula follows her.

(Dracula's POV)

She went down a seemingly never-ending alleyway that led to a Main street. I kept my distance and leapt onto building tops until I found that we were back at her apartment. Bored, I left her as she began to pack.

It only occurred to me later, on my flight home, that she was packing to leave for my home. The stupid humans who "ran" my castle as a hotel and tourist attraction had allowed her to live there for a month, gathering information for her book. I ignored my urge to fly back and see what she might pack. I was far from afraid, but I had no idea what provisions she would have and how long it would last her. I would have to have Jean go into town and get food.

(Leila's POV)

I got up at three o'clock in the morning to catch the flight by six o'clock. After spilling my vanilla drink, traffic, and nearly missing the call for the plane, I was not in a great mood. I decided to change into clean clothes from my carry-on after the plane took off and then to go to sleep. I knew I'd need it to be sociable.

When I boarded the plane, I was happy to discover that I got a window seat. That meant I had at least one arm of the seat to myself and that I wouldn't have to deal with people climbing over me as the price. I also found that only one person shared the row with me. Too tired to care about much else, I fell asleep.

I woke when the signal for seat belts went off. I was startled at first, then remembered where I was. I laughed softly before obeying the signal and waiting for the plane to land.

I checked in while I was in the carriage on the ride there. I talked to the old man who claimed to own the castle. He told me that there was a month's supply of food there already and that there were some electrical fixtures added into it. I thought it sort of messed with my purpose, but it made it more convenient for me. I wouldn't have to go into town for food or use the outhouse. I would be able to concentrate.

I was dropped off in front of the castle and the owner left. If I thought the cold in Samoilacry was bad, I obviously didn't know what I was talking about. Castle Dracula was under at least a foot of snow and it was only October (though I later found out that it would melt before Thanksgiving). I ran in, put my things in a room, and started a fire in the main room's fireplace. It was an elaborate black stone mantle that took up nearly an entire wall; very impressive and in the gothic style. My mind seemed to have gone numb, for I could only think how happy I was that I had thought to bring matches.

Later, while tending the fire, I got that horrible sinking feeling I always got when I felt I was being watched. I turned but saw no one.

"Hello?" I called out.

A man walked out of the shadows. He was dressed in a black tunic, pants, and cloak, which heavily contrasted his milk white skin. His hair was as dark as his clothes with a gentle curl and, when he looked up, his eyes were distinctly black as well.

"Good evening, Miss Sarikma." He said in a thick Dalmatian accent. "I am Vladmirious, the caretaker."

"No offense, but I was told I would be alone." I replied tentatively. He laughed.

"Alone in the sense that you won't be among other visitors. I live here. _Permanently_."

_This guy's creepy... _I thought to myself. _I don't like that emphasis on "permanently. He looks familiar, too._

"Um, sir, have we before? I know Vladmirious is not an unusual name, but you seem oddly familiar to me.

(Dracula's POV)

I will admit, I found this game fun. She was so unsure of herself and, of course, would never think that the man she dreamt about could possibly be real, so when she asked if we had met, I played along.

"No, miss, I don't believe we have. So have you found a room you favor?"

She nodded, her brows slightly furrowed as though she wasn't sure whether to tell the truth or not. I just smiled toothlessly and offered to tend the fire in her stead.

"No, it's alright."

"Really? You'll get burned standing there. Here." I stood behind her and repositioned her to the side of the fire. "If you stand here, you aren't directly in front of the heat."

"Thank you." She said, trying to get out of my grasp.

"There are many things you need to learn about this fireplace and this house. Until you learn them, I will do it."

I slid the poker out of her hands and released her. She took a short breath, thought better of sighing in relief, and bid me goodnight. I laughed and continued to attend to the dancing flames.


	4. Transylvanian Advetures pt 2

Recap: Leila gets to Romania and meets Dracula. He talks to her a bit and she goes to bed after getting pretty freaked.

(Leila's POV)

I got my computer hooked up, changed into my pajamas, and started to type my description of Castle Dracula.

_"The night was cold and biting as the vampire himself. The castle was large, even as castles go, and all in dark stone and forbidding. Strange characters were seen coming and going from time to time, but were never questioned for the citizens of the city that was in the fortress's shadow feared the potential danger of doing so."_

The door opened, but I ignored it. I figured Vladmirious would announce his business momentarily. It never came. I turned to face a wall of black. I looked further up and saw Vladmirious reading what I had wrote.

"Do you not like it here?" He asked softly.

"That's not it at all. I'm writing a horror flick, it has to seem scary." I explained, turning back to my work.

I felt a hand on my jaw. It traced over to my chin and back, down the side of my neck, and over my shoulder. The hand felt like ice. I tensed, my back rigid, and my hands ceased typing. I took short breaths as if I was afraid that something would happen if I took too deep a breath. The hand traced my collarbone as the other hand was added and mirrored the other until they passed and ended up on the other shoulder. I felt a chest against my back and a chill ran under it, burning like electricity.

"Are you afraid of me, Leila?" Vladmirious asked, his whispery voice thick and deep as he addressed me by my first name for the first time.

I didn't answer. I was too busy trying to figure out how to get out of his grip. I couldn't understand it. I had often out characters in this kind of situation, but I had never expected to actually freeze as they did.

I closed my eyes, then looked in the mirror above my desk to try and find a way out. But I only saw me. I felt him embracing me, but he wasn't in the mirror. I shivered again as I tried to reason with myself.

_Come on, Lei. You must be kidding yourself if you've got "vampire" down as a possibility. Ha! Maybe you should check into a mental institution and just write from there. _Then I reconsidered. _Oh, who am I kidding? There _is_ no logical reason for not having a reflection..._

"You're right, there's not." I heard Vladmirious say.

I realized that his head was now buried at the crook of my neck and he was running his teeth over the flesh there. It was a threat, I knew. If I made any sudden movements, I'd hurt myself and there was the possibility that he'd go into bloodlust and attack me.

"Get off of me..." I said quietly.

That came out less demanding than I had hoped, but I couldn't do much about it. My voice had abandoned me for the most part. I was surprised I was able to talk at all.

"And if I don't?"

I closed my eyes again as he trailed his lips up my neck and he pulled my hair to the side. I had to find a way out of this...

(Dracula's POV)

I could hardly believe she was so passive. She had been so strong before. Perhaps it was just that she had never been confronted with the reality of her potential death.

Suddenly she hit my forehead away and turned to face me, her shoulder covering where my head had been. Our eyes locked.

"Please get out." She said stronger than before.

She had broken the spell my aura causes so I bowed my head and left.

I went to find Jean who was seeing how the new werewolves were faring. I found them in a cage downstairs with Jean throwing them pieces of rotting meat.

"Jean!" I called. He looked at me. "I need you to make sure the food in the kitchen in humanly edible. I have a guest and if the food has gone bad, go get something fresh."

"Yes, master."

He left to do so, shuffling past me as I made my way to the dungeons. I found the shackles where I had Gabriel Van Helsing hanging.

"To what do I owe the visit?" He asked gruffly.

"Now, now, Gabriel. I merely came to inform you. The child you made from my blood reproduced."

"What? No..."

"Yes. Many generations down the line, another direct descendant has appeared and she's sleeping upstairs." I loved to mock the man.

"Let me see her!"

"And let you spoil my fun? Of course not. Perhaps after I've turned her. When the blood lust is strongest."

"No! I will not allow you to turn another innocent!"

"Innocent? She is of my blood, I'd hardly consider that innocent." I walked closer to him and grasped his jaw. "And you are in no position to allow me to turn her or not."

"I cannot stand by and watch." He said.

"And you will not. You will be shackled as always and watch. Though, you may not last that long. Our food supply may simply... disappear."

I released him and walked out listening to his yelling. I was glad I had managed to keep him alive this long. Mocking him had become a hobby of a sort for me.

(Van Helsing's POV)

I refuse to believe that Dracula managed to find a direct descendant of Berta, the child I created to study. I had thought she was sterile, so I let her go just before Dracula had imprisoned me. Yet, she supposedly reproduced and, generations later, another with Dracula's blood appeared. I knew I'd have to find a way to see her and warn her before it was too late.


	5. His Bride?

Recap: Leila gets pretty much assaulted by Dracula, then he leaves her, sends Jean out for food, and talks to Van Helsing. Now Van Helsing hopes to warn Leila before Dracula turns her.

(Dracula's POV)

When I woke in the morning, it was a shock. I hadn't remembered my decision to follow a diurnal schedule until I collected myself. Even though it was 6 am, I (for some reason) wanted to see if Leila was awake. I left for her room in a mist.

She wasn't awake yet, and was only covered to her waist with her blanket. She had added a black overbust corset to her pajama ensemble, which surprised me. For one thing, I hadn't thought her to be a person who concentrated heavily on her figure, and for another, I didn't think it was possible to find them anymore.

I looked at her, seeing exactly how thin she was. She couldn't have been eating well on a constant basis, which made sense what with her being a performer and writer. Her income was probably just enough to cover rent and taxes, leaving little or nothing for food. Her mother had died many years before, leaving her with next to nothing since she was also an artist.

Leila stirred, her braided hair falling off her collarbone. I stared at her neck. It had been centuries since I had killed in the village, and I hadn't tasted human blood in almost as long. I wondered what hers would be like. I couldn't resist. I knelt beside her and dipped my head to her neck. Then, I bit, leaving my fangs in only long enough to break the skin.

Her blood rushed into my mouth, spicy and sweet. Not a hot kind of spicy, the spice like when you bite into pumpkin pie and sweet in the same manner. I wanted it all, to drain her dry, but knew I couldn't. She was the only one left and if I killed her, I would never be able to try this again. I pulled away and saw her stare at me.

(Leila's POV)

I woke with a strange pain in my neck. It didn't feel like a stiff sort of pain, more of a regionalized sharp pain like a paper cut. I couldn't move much, but I felt it even though there was nothing there. I swallowed thickly and got up to take a shower. I looked in the mirror in the bathroom and found that there was something resembling a bleeding hickey on my neck. There was a knock on the door.

"Leila? Are you alright? There's blood on your pillow."

I opened the door to see Vladmirious looking rather worried. I stepped out to talk to him.

"Vladmirious, are there rats or something that would bite?" I asked, pointing to my neck.

He studied it for a while and pulled me into the bathroom again. He took the washcloth and started to clean it.

"I know there _are _rats and bats other things that might bite, but I have yet to see anything like this." he said, looking at it. "It may have just been a large rat. Stay here. I will get something to clean it more thoroughly."

I watched him go and sat on the lid of the toilet and leaned up against the tiled wall. He was acting stranger than he had before... or perhaps just strange in a different way.

When he returned, he had ointment and long bandages in his hands. He kneeled in front of me and dressed the still bleeding wound.

"It shouldn't get infected now. Are you hungry?"

I was caught by the question. I had gotten the impression that he was a vampire and hadn't expected that he would think about my eating habits. It then hit me that I wasn't afraid of him. I had fairly established that he was a vampire and could, if he chose to, kill me. Why was I not afraid?

(Dracula's POV)

Leila suddenly looked as though a few things had dawned on her. I reached into her mind and saw what she was thinking.

"_Why am I not scared? He- he's a vampire...I think..."_

"I have food if you'd like. My servants will be dining with you." I said calmly.

"What about you?" She asked. Typical.

"I've already eaten."

Who knows how many times I used that lie in my lifetime. In my infamous biography "Dracula," it was used, so the lie must have been fairly well known.

"Alright then..." Leila replied softly, looking down.

The woman was so shy sometimes. It made me want to throttle her and make her stop. She should have known that it wasn't necessary to be so shy for me. She had known me her entire life, and had often written of my boldness.

In any case, I lead her down to the kitchen where Jean and some other servants who didn't really need to eat were. At the small table, there was an assortment of breakfast foods. I pulled out a chair for her and she sat tentatively. She looked nervous, as if she thought the food would be poisoned. I asked what was wrong.

"Can I cook? This is uncomfortable for me."

I laughed. She was all alone at home and rarely had enough money to eat out, so she always cooked for herself. I'd have to change that.

"No, you may not. As long as you're here, they will cook for you. That's why I have servants."

She nodded slowly, as though debating whether or not to argue with me. I smiled and excused myself as Jean placed a plate of food in front of her.

She would have to be broken of her human ways before I turned her. I hoped I could accomplish that much before her month long stay was over. If I succeeded, she wouldn't want to return home for fear of discovery. That being, she would stay with me and, possibly, become my bride.


	6. Angry Love Bites

Recap: Dracula wakes up and decides to taste Leila's blood. She wakes up, unaware, and Dracula bandages the wounds. He leads her down to breakfast and we find out what he plans to do. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go back and read. Got it? Okay, on with the story.

(Leila's POV)

After breakfast, I went back to my room and wrote. I had expected the recent events to affect my writing, but not quite to the extent it did.

_"A man walked in to greet the company who had arrived. He appeared in all black from the shadows left by the flames in the large fireplace. The group stared at the man, unsure of how to react._

_"Good evening. I am Damian. I own this castle." The man said to his speechless guests."_

It continued through a person being bitten, another being murdered, and-

There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" I said meekly, snapping out of my trance.

"I have dinner for you, Miss."

I looked at my watch. Eight twenty. I had been writing for over twelve hours non-stop with no food. My stomach growled lightly as I went to the door.

There stood the plain looking man who had given me breakfast with a plate of food. He was short with pale skin and his eyes were a dull yellow and surrounded by dark circles. I thanked him and took the food.

The man's face haunted me until I decided to stop writing at about eleven o'clock. I was in the midst of changing when there another knock on the door. Vladmirious walked in as I finished pulling my shirt on.

"Yes?" I said, half impatiently.

"How is your neck? I haven't seen you all day."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm sorry I wasn't very social. I got carried away."

"How is it going?" He asked, nodding toward the computer.

"Not very well. I think I wrote forty pages and only edited ten. It's disappointing me." He gave me a look.

"How much do you usually write?"

"Anywhere from seventy to one hundred with at least half edited in that amount of time."

"You truly are amazing. I had heard about you from the... _owner _before you came, but I would never have suspected. The man is going senile." He laughed.

It made me a bit uncomfortable when he paused at the word "owner." Was he not? Or was it that Vladmirious had just lost the word for a moment. I decided to ask.

"Is he not the owner?" Vladmirious laughed again.

"You _are_ slow. You still have no idea who I am?" I sighed in annoyance. "I would expect that you would want to know my last name. Let me give you a hint; this castle."

Inside, I denied it. I furrowed my brow in disbelief. It was blatantly obvious what he meant, but it didn't mean I was going to believe. He smiled.

(Dracula's POV)

I smiled as I searched through her thoughts. She was in denial. Vampires _can't_ exist, of course. She had thoroughly understood my clue. I bent by her ear and whispered to her.

"Vampire... Dracula..."

I used my teeth to cut the bandages around her throat. I felt her tense and move away slightly, but I grasped her shoulders to keep her from moving.

"You didn't really think that a rat did this, did you?"

I didn't expect her to answer. She did what she had done the night before; freeze and try to find a way out of the situation. I smiled and kissed the wound on her neck. Then she leaned her head back and spoke.

"Perhaps simply a different kind of rat..." She whispered, turning and moving her hand upward over the fabric of my shirt, the other gripping the hand I had on her shoulder.

She had caught me off guard. She called me a rat, but her body language was suggestive to say the least. I wasn't sure what to think. All I knew was that the small shapes she drew on my chest felt good... until her thumb pressed hard into my windpipe and she pushed me away.

She glared and sat back at her desk, her back to me. It took me a moment to process what she had just done, then I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. She pulled up a word document and typed something.

_"Fuck off, bastard."_

When I read that, I tightened my grip in defiance. I wasn't horribly familiar with modern language, but I knew that meant "go away"- something I wasn't about to do. She gently took the hand I had on top and bit it hard.

It had been a long time since I had been bitten, so it took my by surprise and I pulled away. She had taken a rather large chunk out of my hand, which she hurriedly spit out along with the blood in her mouth. She walked into the bathroom and washed anything left out.

I slowly did as her written message had said after another hard death glare from her. This was no longer a game to me. This would mean war. And I would win.

(Jean's POV)

Through the keyhole, I saw the girl, Leila, bite my master and go to wash her mouth of his blood. She was smart about that, at least. If one ingests damned blood without being close to death, much pain will follow with no turning. Not that I wanted her to bite my master at all, but I wouldn't wish that pain on her either. She was definitely of his lineage with that sort of vicious action.

I saw my master approach the door and I made it seem as though I was just walking up to the door. He came out and I bowed. I knew that had not left him in a good mood.

"Jean, what are you doing?"

"Coming for the girl's dishes from dinner, master."

"Get them and then get Gabriel out of his cell and into the main chamber. She dies tonight."


	7. Turning

Recap: Leila writes until eleven PM and Dracula comes in. He confronts her again, she fights back and bites him. Jean comes for her dishes and Dracula tells him to get Van Helsing into a chamber and that Leila is going to die. Not ringing bells? Go back and read.

(Van Helsing's POV)

I was removed from my usual cell by Jean, Igor's descendant and Dracula's current helper from that family. He was kind to me, so I usually complied with what he needed to do to keep Dracula from killing one or both of us. I followed him to the main chamber of the dungeons. The room mostly filled with torture devices and metal tables for experimentation (It was much like the place where Dr. Frankenstein created his "monster").

Jean wouldn't tell me exactly what was going to happen, only that it wouldn't end well. He also mentioned that Dracula wasn't very "cheery" at that point. I knew that even though he put it as he did, Dracula was probably raging and going to severely injure me. I was going to have _so_ much fun...

(Leila's POV)

At around midnight, the man who brought me food, Jean, came in to my room. He told me that I needed to come with him. He continually apologized for bothering me so late and he lead me farther down in the castle than I had been.

As I had feared, he lead me to the dungeons.

"Why are we here?" I asked, slightly panicked.

"I can't tell you." He replied. "But please don't make me drag you the rest of the way. The less you fight, the better for all of us."

I shivered, but continued. I knew something was really wrong. Jean was, as far as I knew, generally kind and cheerful, but he had had a grim look on his face. Gruesome possibilities ran through my head. I had no idea what was possible for Dracula to do to me, but I didn't think I'd have a good time tonight.

When I walked into the main chamber, I started to really panic. History lessons and research about medieval torture devices and the Inquisition hit me. Just about every horror I had written about rushed at me and twisted my insides, wrenched my mind to the brink of insanity. I started to hyperventilate.

"Please calm down, Miss. You'll scare the wolves."

"W-wolves?"

"The master's pets."

As if on cue, a racket came from a cage nearby, but not from wolves. A frail man who looked about thirty banged the bars and rattled the chains that shackled him. I went over to him without thought. Jean tried to pull me away, but I managed to resist him.

"Are you Dracula's guest?" The man asked harshly. "Are you his descendant?!"

"I don't know." I replied uncertainly.

"If you are, listen to me. He means to turn you. I don't know when, but he will. You must leave before-"

He was interrupted when Jean started wailing. The shriek seemed to go on forever before he stopped.

"You cannot know this, Miss. We'll all get killed!" He said as harshly as the chained man.

"Please, Jean, what does he mean to do to me?"

"What you'd expect, if you'd listened to Gabriel." A voice replied.

(Dracula's POV)

I walked in as Leila asked Jean about my intentions. I replied as I walked down to meet the three figures. Jean was gripping Leila's arm as if trying to pull her away from Gabriel. I had forgotten that she was a dancer and, therefore, had strong legs should she decide to run, but it hardly mattered if they spoke or not. The deed would be done.

"What exactly are you going to do to me, Dracula!?" Leila demanded, ripping her arm away from Jean as she called me by my last name. I chuckled.

"As I said-"

"No. I know what that means, but why?"

"What difference does it make to you? You will be turned, that's all."

"You aren't answering."

She was persistent and stubborn, another trait she had gotten from my blood. I smiled at her, baring my fangs in amusement.

"Because you already have my blood. You are valuable to the continuation of my kind, you are already strong and you can stand the change."

I approached her slowly as I spoke. She was obviously scared of me. She stepped back as I did the opposite, backing herself up against Gabriel's cell. I trapped her between my body and the bars.

"And if I have to chain you down to get what I want, I'll do it."

We were forehead to forehead, staring at each other. I let my aura put her in a trance and I lead her to one of the experiment tables. Once I bit her, she would snap back to reality and fight. It would just be easier this way.

(Jean's POV)

I had seen my master do this many times with other potential brides of his, all of whom had died, but I can't say I ever got used to it. He bit her and she started to fight against the bindings, screaming, and then Van Helsing started yelling, then the wolves howled and barked at the sudden commotion. The noise ran through my head and I looked away until my master told me to get a knife. He didn't like to bite himself when he turned anyone, so he insisted upon a ritual ivory handled knife.

He slit his wrist and held it to Miss Leila's mouth. She turned away, but my master brought his wrist to her again. The battle went on for what seemed like forever until my master decided she had had enough blood as she passed out. He told me to watch her until she woke and to shut the wolves up. I did the latter by throwing them more meat, then went back over to Miss Leila. Only about fifteen minutes passed before she stirred.

(Van Helsing's POV)

I was surprised at how quickly the girl recovered. Only a few minutes after she had been screaming in pain, she woke up, seemingly unharmed. She looked at Jean groggily.

"Is it over...?" She asked quietly, resigned to her fate.

"Yes, Miss Leila. It's over." Jean replied.

Leila... so that was her name. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Are you alright?" Jean asked.

"Yes. Just tired."

Jean left for a moment and returned with a blanket. He slipped it under the metal bars that kept Leila down on the table. She smiled sweetly and fell asleep again.

Then Dracula walked in.

"Has she woken?" He asked. "I heard her speak."

"She has. She's strong, she was able to speak with me."

Dracula smiled.

(Dracula's POV)

I was glad to hear how quickly she rebounded. She had fought hard against me and used a lot of energy, so I had expected it to be longer before she woke. The others I had turned usually didn't come to until the next sunset and when they did, they were moody and displeased. From the voice I had heard, Leila had been normal, just tired. I expected that once she saw me, her personality would change some, but I would have to deal with that as it came.

I came and checked every so often before sunrise. Jean told me that she woke up every hour or so, spoke with him a bit sometimes, and went back to sleep. I decided to do the same and see how she was by nightfall.


	8. A New Life

Recap: Leila and Van Helsing are taken into the main chamber of the dungeons unaware and Dracula turns Leila. Leila wakes often not too long after. Dracula decides to wait until sunset the following night to see how she reacts. Not familiar to you? Go back and read because if you don't, none of the following will make sense.

(Leila's POV)

I woke so often, I could hardly tell the difference between when I was awake and when I slept. Once, I woke and it was so bright, and the light burned my eyes like fire. I subconsciously wondered why I had become so sensitive to the light, but I didn't let it bother me. I was too tired anyway.

The last time I woke, I didn't see Jean. Instead, a familiar face from my dreams confronted me. I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts, then anger rose it me.

"You!" I shrieked in a whisper.

"Yes, my dear?" Dracula replied.

Reality seemed to suddenly hit me in the gut like a sledgehammer. He had turned me. That man who had been shackled, he warned me. There was no way I could have stopped anything. Everything was going so fast, I felt like I couldn't hang on. I couldn't even find the words to express myself, which was potentially dangerous. I was scared, angry, unsure. So many things ran through my head as I finally understood what happened... what would happen.

"Let me up." I said softly after many deep, though unnecessary breaths.

"Can I trust that you won't do anything... stupid?" He asked smugly, though it may have been an honest question.

"Define "stupid.""

"For example; try to rip things to shreds."

"Yes. Just let me up."

He unlocked the bars that kept me down and I shot up, getting far away from the table. I wanted to run. I hardly cared where as long as it was far from here. I knew, deep inside that I couldn't run from what I was now, but something in me wanted to try anyway. Suddenly, there was a loud banging from behind me. I turned to see the same man who had been shackled there before. He began to speak (more like yell, actually) what I believed to be Latin, and Dracula stepped in front of me. I saw his entire body tense then slowly return to normal.

"Now, now, Gabriel. That's no way to treat the descendant of your creation." The name struck me, though I had heard it before.

"Gabriel? Gabriel Van Helsing?" I asked.

"The very same." Dracula answered.

(Dracula's POV)

The Latin curse was far more than Leila could handle at the time, so I took it for her, scolding Gabriel. Then I looked back at Leila.

I saw the look of realization pass over her face as she began to piece the puzzle together. She thought back to what Gabriel and I had said to her and she fell to her knees.

Normally, I would have taken her falling due to her shock, but now I saw that haze pass over her eyes as her hunger set in. She would need to feed and that would mean sacrificing someone, probably a servant or werewolf.

I decided to spare Gabriel for the sake of my own pleasure. He was my whipping boy for everything so I wouldn't have to take out my anger on anyone else who might deserve it less in my book. I decided to use a werewolf named Velkan, who had recently been defiant.

I killed him, trying to tempt her, but she refused. I was surprised at how strong her resistance was, but I knew it wouldn't last long. The blood lust after the turning is like the hunger of a starving child. Knowing this, I persisted, painting her lips with blood. At the last minute, she turned away, my fingers streaking her cheek. She turned back to look at me, hatred gleaming in her eyes, the blood smeared deliciously across her face.

"Drink while it's still warm." I said. " It tastes awful cold."

She spit out what blood had gotten in her mouth at my feet defiantly. I grasped her chin, forcing her to look me in the eye.

"And you'd do well to respect me." I said. She glared.

"Respect..." She said. "is something earned in return for the same. If you insist on trying to control me as you are, then I will be a bitch."

She pulled her face away from me and wiped her mouth, the blood staining her alabaster skin more. She stood shakily, almost falling into me when she tried to walk. When she did, I supported her despite her weak struggle against me. I could feel her loosing her composure and strength as tears formed in her eyes.

"Don't make me..." She whispered pitifully. "I can't..."

"You aren't human anymore, Leila." I replied, sitting her on the table. "You must do this to survive. Drink."

After a short battle like the one during her turning, she fed.

(Leila's POV)

I felt a sickening feeling wash over me as I fed on the blood of the wolf Dracula had killed. What was left as human in me was rejecting it, my gag reflex kicking, but my damned blood refused to let go of its power source. Like eating a human meal, the blood filled me up quickly and, as I regained myself, I pulled away and spat some blood out and panted. Whether in fear or a psychological need for breath, I don't know.

For a long moment, I sat there, staring at Dracula. Then, I rose and ran to my room. Or toward it, at least. Half way there, I felt my body give way and a wave of drowsiness knocked me over and all was black.

(Jean's POV)

I watched as Miss Leila ran out of the basement and fell over at the head of the stairs. My master followed her closely and picked her up, taking her the rest of the way to her room and ordering me along. On the way, he spoke to me.

"She's doing well. She's fed, so she'll probably wake up in a foul mood. I'm going out, so you are to watch her until she wakes. Make sure she doesn't try anything."

I knew what he was talking about. One of his turning failures, Zaphire, had been turned, fed, and committed suicide when she came to. Though it would be simple for a vampire to commit suicide without means of weaponry, my master told me to remove all possible tools.

In any case, I decided to stay in the room with her until she roused herself. I knew it would probably be a while, but, for some reason, I wanted to take extra care to see that she was safe.

She woke in less than a half hour and, despite how well I had grounded myself for anything, I was thrown completely off guard by how... chipper she was.

"Hello, Jean." She said, sitting up. "Is he gone?'

"Yes, he's gone, Miss." I replied, sighing slightly.

"Oh, stop with the "miss" thing. It's far too formal."

"I'm sorry. It's a habit."

"One I think you should break. You're more a friend to me than anyone else, even him and he's my ancestor."

I noticed how much she avoided using my master's name. Her distain for him was apparent, but she didn't spit venom at the thought of him. I mentioned it.

"I just... don't want to use his name. I feel like, if I do, I'll explode. That saying his name is like being faced with an unarmed enemy and finding a loaded gun resting in your hands; unsure if you want to kill him or yourself. Besides, you're not the one I'm angry at, so why should I take it out on you?"

"I suppose. I suggest you address him directly when next you two speak, though. He doesn't take kindly to disrespect and ignoring his authority as such may lead to... bad things."

"I think it will be a while before we speak again. There is a lock on this door, right?"

"Yes. Though I'll warn you that locked doors and barricades don't keep him out. You'd need a ward for that. He can unlock a door easily from the wrong side." I didn't want to hurt her feelings or anything, but I didn't want her dwelling under such misconceptions.

"Well, that idea goes down the drain..." She looked down. I began to feel bad until she looked up with a smile. "Then I'll just not talk to him."

"Be careful. I don't know when he'll return, but be ready. Of course, he was pretty angry when he left, so who knows how long that might be. Sometimes he just goes away for weeks, no word from him or anything, then he comes back and acts as if nothing's happened."

Leila nodded slightly, then started to ask me questions about being a vampire. Would she still have to eat regular food? How often would she have to feed? We must have talked nearly all night until she got too tired to talk any more. I gave her a blanket out of habit and left.

I wandered aimlessly around the Castle until I heard a door open. I saw my master walk in, blood all down his front.

"Would you like me to fetch some clothes for you, master?" I asked him.

"Yes. I assume Leila is asleep again?"

"Yes, master. She seems alright, chipper actually, but she told me that she wants some space." I replied, then added. "I'm not sure how she feels about you."

I expected to be hit or yelled at for saying that, but it never came. Only an unusually warm chuckle from my master.

"She'd probably try to kill me. I'll see her now. Have my clothes ready."

"Yes, master."

(Dracula's POV)

I knew it was best to see her while she was drowsy to avoid any rash actions on her part. I went to her room to find that she had left the coffin open and was covered in a thick blanket. I went to her side and placed a hand on her cheek. She woke slowly, her eyes hazy with sleep.

"You're back..." she whispered.

"Yes. Do you mind if I join you?"

She looked at me, her brows furrowed, then sighed.

"Yes, I mind." I was a bit disappointed, but I didn't push it further.

"Alright, then. Sleep well, my love."

I kissed her cheek and left her. I was glad that she seemed comfortable being in my presence, but she was still distant. It worried my how she would act once she was completely awake, though. She had proved willing to fight me and I had now, unfortunately, given her the power to do me some real harm. I continued to think as I changed into the clean clothes Jean had brought me. When I was finished, I spoke with him.

"She was alright, as I said, but if you want to know everything, I'll need to speak frankly."

"Very well."

He told me about how upset she had been and also how curious she was about being a vampire.

"All that is to be expected. Though, I don't believe any of them have made it past the first night in your lifetime. This will be interesting for you to watch, I'm sure." Then, I said, more to myself, "I think she'll be fine."


	9. Feed, My Love

Recap: Leila feeds for the first time and Dracula leaves for a bit to feed himself. Leila wakes up, talks to Jean, and speaks briefly to Dracula, but she is still tired from turning. Lost? Go back and read.

(Dracula's POV)

I slept restfully as I had not done in centuries. Knowing that I had a surviving successor was rather comforting, though it still worried me that she was so against accepting her new self. I knew she would be upset, but she gave me little choice in turning her. I have a short temper by nature, as she should have expected, and she crossed the line. Wait, I had told myself often, but I forgot to listen to reason and now I would pay the price.

I knew that Leila would come out her fatigued state soon, so I would need to be prepared to fight off an angry, now dangerous female vampire. Poor planning on my part. The more upset she was, the more inclined she would be to use the vampiric "gift" against me and, possibly (however improbably), overpower me. Her blood and mine are nearly the same, therefore able to operate easily in a vampiric state and use it to its fill potential.

The gift, however, acts much the way sound waves do - it takes space to resonate and be amplified. Though she has similar "acoustics," Leila has a smaller frame than I do, making it harder on her to use the amount of strength necessary to overpower me. I smiled. I had my advantage.

The next night passed and I woke to find that Leila was awake as well. She had managed to sneak into my room and open the window without my hearing her. She was sitting on the large windowsill when I woke. In the setting autumn sun illuminated her pale face a golden color and revealed her sad expression. I walked up behind her.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

"It's going to suck when it starts to snow again. It'll be dark for months." She replied stoically.

"You enjoy the light, don't you?"

"Yes. The light you stole from me was all I had left." She turned toward me, blank but simmering. "You turned me out of anger, didn't you?"

"You gave me little choice."

"In what way? I was just as angry as you were. You had a choice, you just didn't want to take it."

"You of all people should know how short my temper can be. I've been in your head from the time you were a child. I ran the risk of you getting to my mind to get to you. You walked through the door once before. It's too bad so much of your writing wouldn't be nearly as good if it hadn't happened. You're so changed because of it... so many more problems." Leila's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"When you were a child, you got into my head. You saw someone get raped and you thought it was you, didn't you? You never told anyone, even after all the nightmares and sexual problems. Isn't that right?" The memory came rushing back to her and her face distorted slightly as if her head started to hurt.

"Who was that?"

"A girl I found in the village. The man was about to leave when I got there. I killed him."

"And the girl?"

"She left. She was too scared to do much, but I erased a bit of her memory. I can't run the risk of people looking for me."

"So you just let her go?"

"I don't kill as often as you think I do. In reality, the only reason why there's so much blood is because they struggle. I've never broken a jugular just to feed."

Leila turned back to the window in silence. The sky was almost purple as the barest strands of light were extinguished on the forested horizon.

"It's time to eat, isn't it?" I said, watching as Leila put a hand on her stomach as it audibly lurched. She shook her head. So stubborn... "You don't want a repeat of a few nights ago, do you?"

**~

(Leila's POV)

I bit my lip. I didn't want to repeat any of that, including the feeding, but I knew that I wouldn't really be in control of that once my bloodlust had set in.

"Come with me. I'll help you hunt." Dracula said with unusual kindness, taking my shoulders and gently led me to the city beyond the small village.

The city streets were almost empty as it usually was after dark fell. Vampires can walk in the daylight, but the people still had yet to figure that out, I guess. Vlad (as I decided to call him as we had come to an understanding of our situation) took me to a small club. The room was filled with people and the noise and smell made me quiver. The scent alcohol floated above the smell of heated bodies in close quarters in a choking mixture.

"They're easy to loose here." Vlad whispered in my ear. I nodded. "Do you dance?"

"What?" Was that supposed to be an invitation or a way to hunt?

"Are you hungry or not?" he replied.

"I don't really dance." A couple started freaking next to us. "And definitely not like that."

"How did you survive in Samoilacry?" Vlad asked jokingly. "Well, you can fake it or you can sit by the bar and wait for someone to think you're cute."

"I'll take the bar, thanks. I don't enjoy acting like I'm having sex with my clothes on."

"Now, now, dear. You and I both know you're still a virgin." I turned, but he was gone.

**~

I just gave up and sat at the bar. The bartender was by me almost immediately, asking if I wanted anything. Or, he asked my chest if it wanted a drink.

"A coke. And I'll pay you an extra buck to make sure it's not spiked." I said, sliding two dollars across the bar.

A hand fell on top of mine. I looked up to find that it was attached to a rather dashing young man. He was very tall, over six feet, tanned, Grecian features, a body to match, and light brown hair and eyes. He was pretty cute, but not exactly my type.

"I couldn't let a lady like you pay for that." He said, his baritone voice resonating in his chest cavity as he handed the bartender two dollars of his own.

"And what makes you think I'm a lady?"

"You're not dressed like a whore and you're not dancing."

"A lady who can't afford a drink?" He smiled.

"No. A lady who shouldn't have to." Ooh, he was good. "My name's Kyle."

"Leila." I replied, taking his outstretched hand.

"So why are you here?" He asked.

"People watching. It's a hobby of mine. And you?" I replied, attempting to seem mysterious.

"It's my night off. I'm a recording artist. No clients tonight."

We got on talking about mutual interests in music and such until Kyle suddenly asked if I wanted to have some fun.

"What kind of fun?"

"I'll show you out back."

I turned my head and bowed it, my eyes closed - a typical submissive agreement. As he led me out, I caught a glimpse of Vlad's lips on a girl's neck in a dark corner. Perfect timing.

As soon as we were out of the club, Kyle slammed me against the wall, his lips on mine. I closed my eyes, inhaling to keep from gagging. I had to remind myself why I was doing this.

_I'm not whoring. I'm not killing. I'm surviving._

I made his lips leave mine as I trailed light kisses down his square jaw and down to the crook of his neck, past his jugular. I inhaled deeply once more before sinking my teeth into the skin. Skin and muscle, then the metallic flavor of blood. Kyle was silent, probably thinking this was some kinky fetish I had. I pulled my teeth out of his neck and soothed the wound with my tongue as I lapped up the blood. I felt him grow limp in my arms and, eventually I fell over with his weight.

I blew on Kyle's neck to stop the bleeding and stood up. There was a hand on my shoulder that turned me around. Thankfully, it was Vlad. He smiled at me and wiped a speck of blood from my lips. He offered his arm.

"Shall we?"

**~

I took his arm as a strong wind blew and soon we were back in the Vlad's room, but I landed on my back. As I should have expected to accompany that, he had landed on top of me. He looked shocked and apologized, but I knew it had been no mistake.

"You don't honestly think I'm going to believe that you've had 600 years of practice and would make a stupid mistake like that?" I asked.

"I can only hope." He replied, smiling.

Vlad helped me up and I sat on the windowsill again. The night was clear and warm despite the threat of autumn's chill. I sighed.

"I take it that feeding is not your favorite sport?" Vlad said, pulling a chair up next to me.

"Not really. I got to know him. He was a dirty scumbag looking for a one-night stand, but he was a gentleman beforehand. It's hard to feed off of someone you know as a person, not just a food source."

"It's easier on the dance floor. You don't have to know anyone. You don't even have to talk to anyone. Just walk up to them and touch their shoulder."

As if to demonstrate, Vlad stood behind me, one arm around my shoulders, the other around my waist. I put a hand on the arm around my shoulders and leaned my head in the crook of his elbow. With his other hand, Vlad petted my head while he whispered to me.

"Don't feel bad. You're lucky. Unlike every other creature on earth, we don't have to kill to eat." I nodded, but tears still swam laps in my eyes. "Love, you've done nothing wrong. And you're the more beautiful for it. (1)Vampyre... is not evil, it is beauty."

Vlad kissed away a tear racing down my cheek, making a chill slither down my neck and burst, bubbling through my back and limbs.

"Darkness can be as beautiful as the light. The moon and stars can shine like the sun and..."

"And?" I asked, standing to face him.

Our eyes locked. His were soft and sorrowful, a painful longing, his lips wet from my tear. He breathed through an open mouth and bit his lip.

"And a moonlit lover can be as wonderful as a sunlit one."

Suddenly, his lips were on mine. The room disappeared, but was clearly there. His hands were on my waist and back, hugging me to him with the desperation of a new lover. My arms were folded uselessly between us, but I found that I didn't need them.

Who could say how long we stood there, neither moving, neither reacting - just savoring the taste. When I did move to show approval, he was feverish. Before I got my bearings, I was on my back in, to my surprise, a bed.

"Vlad." I said around a kiss.

"Mm?"

"Vlad, please."

I took his head and pulled it away from mine. I couldn't do this, but I knew he was ready to plow through the night with me. He looked at me, confused, if not hurt. I placed a chaste kiss on his forehead; trying to reassure him.

"I'm just not ready." I said, my chest heaving. He smiled, panting as well.

"600 years is a long time. I can wait a little longer."

He got off of me and helped me up. I left with a smile and found my room and my computer.

_"And yet, in their host, there was a touch of alluring aura. It drew many to him, men and women alike, and yet so many shied away as they discovered what he really was. Not this lover. Rhea was persistent and undemanding at the same time. A clawless tiger still trying to catch its prey. The only difference was that this prey wanted to be caught. And he would be as soon as the time was right for both of them."_

(1) Vampyre - pronounced vam-peer.


	10. Kiss and Make Up

Recap: Leila feeds for the first time and Dracula leaves for a bit to feed himself. Leila wakes up, talks to Jean, and speaks briefly to Dracula, but she is still tired from turning. Lost? Go back and read.

(Dracula's POV)

I slept restfully as I had not done in centuries. Knowing that I had a surviving successor was rather comforting, though it still worried me that she was so against accepting her new self. I knew she would be upset, but she gave me little choice in turning her. I have a short temper by nature, as she should have expected, and she crossed the line. Wait, I had told myself often, but I forgot to listen to reason and now I would pay the price.

I knew that Leila would come out her fatigued state soon, so I would need to be prepared to fight off an angry, now dangerous female vampire. Poor planning on my part. The more upset she was, the more inclined she would be to use the vampiric "gift" against me and, possibly (however improbably), overpower me. Her blood and mine are nearly the same, therefore able to operate easily in a vampiric state and use it to its fill potential.

The gift, however, acts much the way sound waves do - it takes space to resonate and be amplified. Though she has similar "acoustics," Leila has a smaller frame than I do, making it harder on her to use the amount of strength necessary to overpower me. I smiled. I had my advantage.

The next night passed and I woke to find that Leila was awake as well. She had managed to sneak into my room and open the window without my hearing her. She was sitting on the large windowsill when I woke. In the setting autumn sun illuminated her pale face a golden color and revealed her sad expression. I walked up behind her.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

"It's going to suck when it starts to snow again. It'll be dark for months." She replied stoically.

"You enjoy the light, don't you?"

"Yes. The light you stole from me was all I had left." She turned toward me, blank but simmering. "You turned me out of anger, didn't you?"

"You gave me little choice."

"In what way? I was just as angry as you were. You had a choice, you just didn't want to take it."

"You of all people should know how short my temper can be. I've been in your head from the time you were a child. I ran the risk of you getting to my mind to get to you. You walked through the door once before. It's too bad so much of your writing wouldn't be nearly as good if it hadn't happened. You're so changed because of it... so many more problems." Leila's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"When you were a child, you got into my head. You saw someone get raped and you thought it was you, didn't you? You never told anyone, even after all the nightmares and sexual problems. Isn't that right?" The memory came rushing back to her and her face distorted slightly as if her head started to hurt.

"Who was that?"

"A girl I found in the village. The man was about to leave when I got there. I killed him."

"And the girl?"

"She left. She was too scared to do much, but I erased a bit of her memory. I can't run the risk of people looking for me."

"So you just let her go?"

"I don't kill as often as you think I do. In reality, the only reason why there's so much blood is because they struggle. I've never broken a jugular just to feed."

Leila turned back to the window in silence. The sky was almost purple as the barest strands of light were extinguished on the forested horizon.

"It's time to eat, isn't it?" I said, watching as Leila put a hand on her stomach as it audibly lurched. She shook her head. So stubborn... "You don't want a repeat of a few nights ago, do you?"

**~

(Leila's POV)

I bit my lip. I didn't want to repeat any of that, including the feeding, but I knew that I wouldn't really be in control of that once my bloodlust had set in.

"Come with me. I'll help you hunt." Dracula said with unusual kindness, taking my shoulders and gently led me to the city beyond the small village.

The city streets were almost empty as it usually was after dark fell. Vampires can walk in the daylight, but the people still had yet to figure that out, I guess. Vlad (as I decided to call him as we had come to an understanding of our situation) took me to a small club. The room was filled with people and the noise and smell made me quiver. The scent alcohol floated above the smell of heated bodies in close quarters in a choking mixture.

"They're easy to loose here." Vlad whispered in my ear. I nodded. "Do you dance?"

"What?" Was that supposed to be an invitation or a way to hunt?

"Are you hungry or not?" he replied.

"I don't really dance." A couple started freaking next to us. "And definitely not like that."

"How did you survive in Samoilacry?" Vlad asked jokingly. "Well, you can fake it or you can sit by the bar and wait for someone to think you're cute."

"I'll take the bar, thanks. I don't enjoy acting like I'm having sex with my clothes on."

"Now, now, dear. You and I both know you're still a virgin." I turned, but he was gone.

**~

I just gave up and sat at the bar. The bartender was by me almost immediately, asking if I wanted anything. Or, he asked my chest if it wanted a drink.

"A coke. And I'll pay you an extra buck to make sure it's not spiked." I said, sliding two dollars across the bar.

A hand fell on top of mine. I looked up to find that it was attached to a rather dashing young man. He was very tall, over six feet, tanned, Grecian features, a body to match, and light brown hair and eyes. He was pretty cute, but not exactly my type.

"I couldn't let a lady like you pay for that." He said, his baritone voice resonating in his chest cavity as he handed the bartender two dollars of his own.

"And what makes you think I'm a lady?"

"You're not dressed like a whore and you're not dancing."

"A lady who can't afford a drink?" He smiled.

"No. A lady who shouldn't have to." Ooh, he was good. "My name's Kyle."

"Leila." I replied, taking his outstretched hand.

"So why are you here?" He asked.

"People watching. It's a hobby of mine. And you?" I replied, attempting to seem mysterious.

"It's my night off. I'm a recording artist. No clients tonight."

We got on talking about mutual interests in music and such until Kyle suddenly asked if I wanted to have some fun.

"What kind of fun?"

"I'll show you out back."

I turned my head and bowed it, my eyes closed - a typical submissive agreement. As he led me out, I caught a glimpse of Vlad's lips on a girl's neck in a dark corner. Perfect timing.

As soon as we were out of the club, Kyle slammed me against the wall, his lips on mine. I closed my eyes, inhaling to keep from gagging. I had to remind myself why I was doing this.

_I'm not whoring. I'm not killing. I'm surviving._

I made his lips leave mine as I trailed light kisses down his square jaw and down to the crook of his neck, past his jugular. I inhaled deeply once more before sinking my teeth into the skin. Skin and muscle, then the metallic flavor of blood. Kyle was silent, probably thinking this was some kinky fetish I had. I pulled my teeth out of his neck and soothed the wound with my tongue as I lapped up the blood. I felt him grow limp in my arms and, eventually I fell over with his weight.

I blew on Kyle's neck to stop the bleeding and stood up. There was a hand on my shoulder that turned me around. Thankfully, it was Vlad. He smiled at me and wiped a speck of blood from my lips. He offered his arm.

"Shall we?"

**~

I took his arm as a strong wind blew and soon we were back in the Vlad's room, but I landed on my back. As I should have expected to accompany that, he had landed on top of me. He looked shocked and apologized, but I knew it had been no mistake.

"You don't honestly think I'm going to believe that you've had 600 years of practice and would make a stupid mistake like that?" I asked.

"I can only hope." He replied, smiling.

Vlad helped me up and I sat on the windowsill again. The night was clear and warm despite the threat of autumn's chill. I sighed.

"I take it that feeding is not your favorite sport?" Vlad said, pulling a chair up next to me.

"Not really. I got to know him. He was a dirty scumbag looking for a one-night stand, but he was a gentleman beforehand. It's hard to feed off of someone you know as a person, not just a food source."

"It's easier on the dance floor. You don't have to know anyone. You don't even have to talk to anyone. Just walk up to them and touch their shoulder."

As if to demonstrate, Vlad stood behind me, one arm around my shoulders, the other around my waist. I put a hand on the arm around my shoulders and leaned my head in the crook of his elbow. With his other hand, Vlad petted my head while he whispered to me.

"Don't feel bad. You're lucky. Unlike every other creature on earth, we don't have to kill to eat." I nodded, but tears still swam laps in my eyes. "Love, you've done nothing wrong. And you're the more beautiful for it. (1)Vampyre... is not evil, it is beauty."

Vlad kissed away a tear racing down my cheek, making a chill slither down my neck and burst, bubbling through my back and limbs.

"Darkness can be as beautiful as the light. The moon and stars can shine like the sun and..."

"And?" I asked, standing to face him.

Our eyes locked. His were soft and sorrowful, a painful longing, his lips wet from my tear. He breathed through an open mouth and bit his lip.

"And a moonlit lover can be as wonderful as a sunlit one."

Suddenly, his lips were on mine. The room disappeared, but was clearly there. His hands were on my waist and back, hugging me to him with the desperation of a new lover. My arms were folded uselessly between us, but I found that I didn't need them.

Who could say how long we stood there, neither moving, neither reacting - just savoring the taste. When I did move to show approval, he was feverish. Before I got my bearings, I was on my back in, to my surprise, a bed.

"Vlad." I said around a kiss.

"Mm?"

"Vlad, please."

I took his head and pulled it away from mine. I couldn't do this, but I knew he was ready to plow through the night with me. He looked at me, confused, if not hurt. I placed a chaste kiss on his forehead; trying to reassure him.

"I'm just not ready." I said, my chest heaving. He smiled, panting as well.

"600 years is a long time. I can wait a little longer."

He got off of me and helped me up. I left with a smile and found my room and my computer.

_"And yet, in their host, there was a touch of alluring aura. It drew many to him, men and women alike, and yet so many shied away as they discovered what he really was. Not this lover. Rhea was persistent and undemanding at the same time. A clawless tiger still trying to catch its prey. The only difference was that this prey wanted to be caught. And he would be as soon as the time was right for both of them."_

(1) Vampyre - pronounced vam-peer.


	11. Chocolate and The Lamp

Recap: Vlad goes into Leila's room to apologize. Leila gets a call for an audition and gets into a playful game of kiss tag with Vlad. Leila stands up for Jean and Vlad convinces her to go back to Samoilacry for the audition. Are we clueless? You know the drill: go back and read.

(Leila's POV)

I love chocolate. How I survived the stay at Vlad's castle, I'll never know, but when I got back home in Samoilacry, I went nuts. I supposed that it was "heat" since vampires don't have periods, but the craving for chocolate drove me insane and I knew that it would get in the way once auditions got underway. To get my mind off of the chocolate, I busied myself with learning all the music to _Miss Saigon_ before the auditions.

Vlad, thankfully, stayed out of my way, choosing to remain on a mostly nocturnal schedule. Jean was happier than a clam to be away from the castle, though I think the city atmosphere in Samoilacry kind of scared him. He opened the window and he practically jumped through the ceiling when he heard all the cars honking and people shouting. Granted, I don't live in the best part of town, but he'd have to get used to it.

I was practicing when I heard a thumping noise. I turned off my karaoke and turned to see Vlad standing in the doorway.

"You're really rather loud, my dear." He said tiredly.

"Sorry. I just don't want to have dragged you and Jean out here for no reason." He laughed.

"No reason? Have you see Jean? He's having the best time of us all."

"Speaking of Jean, have you seen him?"

"No. He probably went back to that... what did you call it?"

"The club?"

"Yes, that's the one." I laughed.

"No. That club only operates after sundown and closes after sunrise. Why do you think they call it the Vampire club? People still believe in that stuff."

"Then I'm at a loss. Did you give him your cell phone?"

"Oh, good idea." I picked up the landline and called my phone. No answer. "Jean, it's Leila. Just wondering where you are. Give me a call. Great..."

"Well, I suppose we should just wait for him, then."

"Sure and bore the heck out of myself."

"Well, do you want to do something? There's no rule that says that waiting has to be boring."

"Only when it's you, me, and the computer. I don't even have a TV in here. Hmm, I think I'll go practice hanging upside-down or something." I said, kind of rudely.

"Oh, that's nice."

"Isn't it? I'm sorry, I'm just really moody right now."

Vlad's eyes grew wide. He pulled me to him and inhaled my scent. He shuddered as he exhaled.

"Have you been craving for sweet things?" He asked.

"Yes, why?"

"You, my dear, are in heat." His head was at the crook of my neck.

"Vlad, I don't know if you remember, but you've already bitten me. That's no use."

"Who said I was going to bite you?" He looked at me, his black eyes hypnotizing and lulling. I had to pull away, but I couldn't.

"There are so many other things you could do to me. I don't trust you."

"I thought you did the first time you let me do this."

Vlad kissed me full on the lips as an example. He stared at me despite the close contact, waiting for a reaction. A reaction I refused to give, and yet I found my body complying. I started to quiver and he pulled away.

"You're shaking."

"I know. Can't help it. Sorry."

"First time. It happens."

"Not if I can help it."

I closed my eyes and pushed him away. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Jean walking in through the door. I jumped at the chance.

"Jean, where have you been?"

"Getting this for you." He replied, holding out a bar of chocolate. I smiled. "I had a little bit of a hard time finding the convenience store."

"Oh, how sweet. Thank you, you have no idea how much I need this." I hugged him.

I had recently discovered that he was only fourteen and it had changed my entire temperament toward him. I had originally thought that he had to be in his twenties at least because of the bags under his eyes and his very proportional build, but was proved wrong when he pulled out a birth certificate. Of course, Vlad wasn't too happy with how affectionate I was toward him because it took away my time. Living in the apartment made it more difficult to get time alone, too. He came up behind me.

"My dear, would you like to come to dinner with me?" He whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"What kind of dinner?"

"Like human dating. We don't get a moment alone. If we leave Jean here and go out for a while, I don't think he'll mind. Besides, it seems we need some time to really get to know each other."

It was then that it hit me how much I didn't know about him. It had only been a month and we still didn't know anymore than the glimpses of each other's minds that we had seen.

"Where are we going?"

(Vlad's POV)

I was happy when Leila accepted my invitation to dinner, though I knew I'd need to find a place to go.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked her. She smiled.

"I have a little place in mind."

She had me dress in nice/casual clothes and took me to a restaurant called "The Lamp." It was a very nice place but, according to her, fit a tight budget. It was dark lit with lush transparent draperies in reds and purples, the seats covered in velvet of similar colors. All the wood was dark and it smelled of spices that reminded me of the Middle East. The floor was covered in hard wood an dark carpet with gentle gold vines weaving the design. In the center of each table was an old oil (genie type) lamp and a bud vase with a "black" or red rose despite the season.

Leila had decided to wear a long, angel sleeved black dress with subtle beading around the waist with black, sparkling high heels. She had put her hair up which skillfully displayed a tempting amount of her neck, though I knew I would need to behave myself in public though the restaurant was so dark that most people probably wouldn't have noticed.

When we walked in, the seating hostess seemed to recognize Leila and immediately got us a seat toward the back of the restaurant by a window with a view of the forested area just over the hill that the place sat. She went through her normal "waitress" schpiel (1) and then whispered something to Leila.

"Be nice, Luce." She said. "And no."

"Luce" shrugged and left us alone. Throughout the following conversation, I tried to get Leila to tell me what she had said, but she dodged each attempt without breaking the flow of discussion. We got our food (which wasn't much since neither of us had come here to eat and we both knew it) and continued talking. I discovered that, though I had been able to see into her head for a long time, I knew almost nothing about her.

Leila was a rather neglected girl. Though she had a father, stepmother, and a half brother, no one was ever really around. She got through her necessary schooling almost unnoticed by her parents who were too busy with their own lives and careers to even have problems in their marriage. Once she got into college, she realized that she could get recognition and, more importantly, money through her talents in the arts. She got a major scholarship, became a professional actress when she was 19, and broke into the musical theatre business at 21. Now 25, she had never dated seriously and, as I had teased her about, never had sex.

"You've had some amazing luck." I said.

"Not always so. I just had a little bit of rope to help me out of the hole, but I had to work just as hard to climb out." She replied. I smiled at her metaphor. "So what about you? I know what all the stories say, but what was your life really like?"

I told her everything; Lydia diving to her death, my denunciation of the church, and the ruining of the chapel. When Ilona, my second wife, came to marry me and when I went into battle in a forest, died, and woke up surrounded by soldiers, completely unharmed. I had no idea why I was still alive, though I later found out that I had been turned.

"I still have no idea what happened." I told her.

"You just... woke up?"

"Yes. Years later, I was supposedly killed accidentally by one of my own men. I was buried in a church and replaced myself with animal bones in the coffin. I thought that would make them leave me alone, but, obviously, that didn't work when they decided to open my grave."

"I always thought that was rather rude of them. Disturbing a grave. What ever happened to rest in peace?"

"I suppose."

Just then, a woman sitting at the table next to us turned around with a rather sour look on her face.

"Look, if you want to role play, you're free to do that but, please, not in a restaurant." She huffed. "It's just rude to those around you."

"I beg you pardon, ma'am, but neither of us are role playing." I replied. Leila caught my hand, as I opened my mouth to say more.

"Vlad, please. Just don't." She said.

"If that _is_ the case, which I doubt," The woman said. "Don't discuss it here."

"Since it is the case, please refrain from eavesdropping on a conversation you don't wish to be a part of." Leila said politely, turning back to me. The woman stared at my back and turned around to continue talking to her husband.

"Very nice, my love." I said.

"Thanks. We should probably get going. I'm sure Jean is wondering what's taking so long."

We paid and left, getting home at nearly 9:30. Jean was asleep on the couch as I had expected and we just went to sleep. I slept with an unusual peace of mind knowing that I actually knew more about Leila than the fact that she was a beautiful descendant of mine.

Of course, it struck an interesting point that I felt for her as I would for a lover. Is that considered incest?

* * *

(1) Pronounced like "peel" with a "sh" in front. I'm not completely sure where this is from. It's probably some Yiddish word that's worked its way into my vocabulary. It loosely means a story or sales pitch. Basically, it was her scripted "hello, my name is," and "today's specials are" thing.


	12. A Night Together and Auditions

**WARNING!!!**: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SOME LEMON-LIKE MATERIAL! IF IT BOTHERS YOU THAT SEX IS LIGHTLY DESCRIBED, DO NOT READ THROUGH LEILA'S POV, OKAY?! Friggin' Fanfiction nuns...

Recap: Leila is in heat and Vlad takes her out to dinner. They talked about themselves after realizing that they really didn't know anything about the other. They got home and went to sleep. Kind of a boring chapter as far as action, but informative. Confused? Read and come back.

(Jean's POV)

I heard my master and Leila come in at around 9:30 but I didn't bother them. Neither of them disturbed me, though Leila did make sure I was warm enough before getting to bed herself.

The next day everyone woke up late and basically sat around all day. Leila stayed in her room and my master was in and out. I just sat in the kitchen/living room area watching some random dramas on the computer. I was beginning to miss home. Of course, I had more freedom here, but it was my lot in life to be bossed around.

I noticed that Leila's mood swings weren't any better. At one point, my master went into her room and there was just screaming and crying before he came out, his arm practically ripped off. She was starting to worry me.

"Is there anything I can do to help her?" I asked my master a while later.

"Not really. I can, though."

(Leila's POV)

Night came and I got ready for bed. I was a little surprised when Vlad came and slipped into my coffin with me.

"Leila, we need to talk." He said. Oh, dear... those words always mean trouble.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"There are things you need to know about your heat."

I turned to look at him and sat up, my brow furrowed. What else was there to know? Was it... that bad?

"Well, I know the mood swings have been bothering you. That can be solved, but it... involves sex."

"What? What does sex have to do with anything?"

"This is going to sound crazy..." Vlad mumbled before sighing. "You know how vampiresses are always said to be everlasting bitches? That's because many of them ignored their heats for fear of getting pregnant. It's very easy for a vampiress to get pregnant because there are always eggs in her tubes since she doesn't have periods."

"So you're saying that I'll stay a bitch if I don't have sex?"

"No. Well, yes. See, your body is telling you that it's your duty to have a child and, therefore, have sex. If you do, your body thinks it's done what it needs to whether you're pregnant or not and you're heat will end."

"Why was that such a problem before?" I asked.

"Most of the famous vampiresses were before the invention of condoms, dear."

"How do I know you aren't BSing me?" He thought for a moment before answering.

"There isn't really a way besides just trusting me." He said finally. "Do you trust me?"

I couldn't answer. I wasn't sure. A chill racked my body and I started to shiver. My throat tightened almost painfully and my breath grew short.

_This should be so easy. It's just virginity. It's not like I can get an STD anyway._ I thought, trying to convince myself in vain. I could see the hurt forming in Vlad's eyes at my indecision.

"You don't?" He asked, nuzzling my neck.

"I don't know..." I whimpered, tears flooding my eyes.

His lips were on mine. All the need and hurt and passion rushed into the kiss, nearly overwhelming me. I had been to responsive before, why couldn't I move?! All I could do was shake as if I were naked in a snowstorm, my hands grasping Vlad's shirt so hard that my fingers were basically tearing through. I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath as Vlad's hands started to wander along my body. After an eternity, he pulled away.

"Tell me if you want it. I'm not going to rape you." He said, panting. I didn't - couldn't - move for a moment. Then, I pulled his face to mine again.

After that, everything was a blur. He pulled both of our clothes off and lifted my lower half to him. I felt him slip something under me, but the wonder left as soon as his body came in contact with mine. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, but perhaps not the most pleasant feeling I'd ever experienced either. I didn't move and tried not to tense for fear that it would hurt if I did.

It was painfully quiet. Only the sound of Vlad's breathing and an occasional moan from me. I tried to be quiet for fear of waking Jean and kept my eyes shut for most of it. Vlad never looked away from me, though. When it was finally over, he laid by my side, the heat between us uncomfortable and sticky with sweat. He kissed me and I got up. My legs felt sore as I dressed, but my head felt clearer. I felt Vlad's hand on my shoulder and I looked at him, seeing a bloodstained piece of cloth where I had lain a moment before.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah." I replied. "I just need to go for a walk... in Hawaii."

With nothing more, I phased to a spot on Waikiki and walked for about an hour.

(Vlad's POV)

I was worried, so I followed Leila to the beach in Hawaii. I was hoping that she wouldn't do anything rash, so I followed about 5 meters behind.

"God, I'm such a damn prude..." I heard her whisper to herself as she flopped down at the base of a palm tree. I wanted to contradict her so badly, but I knew she would run away. "At least it's cooler here. I was about to die of the heat.

"He must think I'm using him. I'm not... really, I'm not. I just don't get what's going on. I'm still new to this, dammit." Silence. Then, she started sobbing. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Vlad..."

Then she disappeared, phasing elsewhere. I decided to go home since I knew she'd wonder where I was if she returned and I hadn't.

When I woke, though, she was laying beside me in my coffin across the room from hers. She barely stirred when I sat up, though she woke when I moved to get out.

"Happy audition day." I said to her, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. She gasped.

"That's right! Eep!"

Faster than I could react, she was running around the apartment, getting ready. I smiled at the return of her childish personality and went to wake Jean.

(Leila's POV)

I could hardly believe that I had forgotten. That _was _the reason I was here, after all. I got in a comfy pantsuit and low heels, straightened my hair, and hailed a cab to get to the audition.

When I got there, I found that most of the others auditioning were not Asian at all. I would have expected at least a few who looked Asian since Miss Saigon takes place in Vietnam, but most were light haired and tall. It sort of disturbed me, but I was almost glad because that would mean that I had a better chance of getting the part. Light eyes are harder to tell from a distance.

About a half hour passed before I was finally called in. The judges were assorted, made up of Ace (the director), coaches, and choreographers, and they all seemed unusually friendly.

"Hello, Leila." One of the coaches said reading my name off of my entry sheet. "We're going to have you learn this piece. Are you familiar with the Miss Saigon songs?"

"Not really." I lied. "I saw it when I was 14."

I looked at the sheet music he handed me and was relieved to see that it was one I knew. The song, "Too Much For One Heart," had been cut, but there were still recordings of Lea Salonga singing it in concert. It was a pretty demanding piece, but I was familiar enough with it.

"How good is your sight reading?" The same man asked.

"Pretty good. This isn't outside the realm of possibility."

"Good because I'm going to teach it to you now."

I was a little shocked that I'd have to "learn" this in front of the judges, but I was up for it. I nodded and followed him to the piano.

"So here, you're Kim. I'll sing it once through and them you go from there, okay?"

"Yeah."

He sang it through, his voice not the greatest, but I held on. The song's familiarity clicked in my head and I was able to sing it back to him.

"Outside there is a war. In here the night is still. The jasmine buds have bloomed the way that jasmine will. And I have given birth to a speck of dust, a sparkle of life, a small hint of light." I sang, purposely swaying a note to seem unsure.

We went through it again and I got through the rest of the song pretty easily. The judges seemed happy as they let me out. I was pretty happy, too. On the way home, I picked up a small sandwich since I had forgotten to eat before the audition and I was starving. I knew it was only a false way of whetting my appetite as it was time for me to feed again, but it would work for now.

A/N: So here's the next chapter. I hope all is well on the receiving end of this... I know lemons aren't usually my style, but Vlad had mentioned it to me and that it would happen eventually.


	13. Hello Mama

Recap: Vlad and Leila have sex and Leila gets past her "PHS"ing (Pre-heat syndrome haha -^__^-). The next day, she has an audition and she nails it. Clicking in your brains? No? Go back.

(Vlad's POV)

That night, Leila and I went out to feed. She still stayed off on the bar, but this time we went to a hustler(1) bar, so it wasn't strange to see people making out and walking to a back room. She fed quickly and let the man go, making it look like he had ODed or passed out. She got up and walked over to me in the center of the dance floor.

"Want to dance?" I asked. She smiled.

"Maybe not."

"Why?"

"I've already told you. I don't like to look like I'm having sex with my clothes on."

"Why not, babe?" A random guy asked, grabbing her hips. "You've got a hot body."

I felt heat in my face as anger rose in my chest. He had no right to touch her like that, even in this day and age.

"Get off, idiot." Leila replied, slapping his hands away. I smiled.

"I suppose we could go home and do that instead." I suggested, pulling her to me, away from the man who was cradling his injured hand.

"No." she said, wrapping her arms around me and leading me off the dance floor. "Let's just go home. I'm tired."

It was beginning to frustrate me how prudent she was. I could somewhat understand why, but it wasn't like it was her first time - I had already taken care of that. 600 years _is_ a long time to be celibate, but, now that I had started again, it made me want more (perhaps that's why Bram Stoker thought I had three wives). I decided it would be easier if I just slipped out to the hustler bar again and picked someone up for a fifty dollar screw in an alley.

Once the deed was done, I walked back to Leila's apartment to find her writing again. It was unusually late, even for her, and she was munching on what looked like freshly made cookies. Had I been gone that long? I checked my watch. No, only 45 minutes and I had taken a detour through a store and stolen a book full of Shakespeare plays.

"Hey, where've you been?" She asked, not looking up at me.

"At the bookstore. I was catching up on some reading." I brandished the book when she looked up. She made a face.

"Let me see the receipt." She said. Damn. "I know the store's not open this late."

"...Alright, you got me."

"If you have so much damn money, my prince, why do you need to steal?"

"Why bother? I can put it back and no one will know."

"That's not the point. The point is that you not only broke into a store, you stole a book that you could have paid for. On top of that, you were with someone else."

"What makes you say that?"

"You reek of cigarettes, your clothes are filthy, and you have that funny look on your face. You looked just like that after you took me. Who was it?"

I was stunned. I knew she was observant, but she was so matter-of-fact about it and didn't look like she was studying me as we were talking. I was rendered incapable of lying.

"A hustler from the bar." I said slowly.

"...Because I wouldn't do it." She finished, ending the sentence I hadn't even started. "It's alright. I know I'm a prude."

She turned and went back to her work. Her typing was mostly unchanged from normal, just a little louder as if to block her own thoughts.

"You're not alright with it..." I commented, walking up to her.

"I'm accepting it. You're not really attached to me. We're just... family, I guess. Nothing more." She replied crisply.

"That's not how it seemed before."

"But it's sort of your fault that it is where it is now, isn't it?"

Her gaze pierced mine, sending icy chills crawling under my skin. After a moment of recovery, I nodded, defeated.

Defeated, but not undetermined. I slid my hands over hers and pulled her into a backwards hug. She struggled, mumbling incomprehensible words of protest, but not enough to break free.

"I'm not going to stop, if that's what you're trying to say." I whispered, my lips almost brushing her ear. "Admit it, you wouldn't want me to even if I would."

"You arrogant bastard." She huffed, miffed.

"Can you blame me for being honest?"

"Yes, I can. There are times when things should be kept to yourself."

"So you're saying you'd rather that I had lied? That I said I went out for another feed to tide me over longer? That I had decided to kill someone? Or maybe that I had just spent all my time in a back alley taking advantage of some poor person's welfare?"

"You _did _take advantage of someone's welfare, though. That's what bothers me. How old was she? 15? 18? Way too young for you whether or not you take into account your vampire years."

(Jean's POV)

I listened to them fight from the kitchen. I grasped my mug of hot chocolate tightly, wanting so badly to go in and stop them. Often times, vampire quarrels end up being deadly and I wasn't about to let that happen. I knew I'd get hurt pretty badly if I went in, though. It was bad enough that they were fighting, even if they weren't vampires or my master.

I decided it had to stop. I went into the refrigerator and pulled out some garlic. The garlic itself doesn't do anything, but I chopped it into small pieces and lit it with a match. The scent would overwhelm their senses and they'd, almost guaranteed, stop to investigate. If nothing else, it would stop them.

As I had anticipated, the two came into the room a minute later, by which time I had extinguished and disposed of the garlic. When they walked in, I was "cooking."

"What is that smell?" Leila asked, rhetorically.

"Jean, what did you do?" My master asked dangerously.

"I had an accident while cooking. Some garlic lit on fire and-"

"Why were you cooking? It's nearly 1 in the morning."

"...I was hungry..." I said slowly, almost making it a question.

"You should be in bed." Leila said gently.

"Shouldn't you be too?"

"Well... yes. We _all_ should."

"...Yes." My master agreed stiffly, excusing himself and going into the room. "And take care of that smell."

"Yes, master..." Leila mocked childishly when he walked out of the room. "God, he acts like the almighty ruler, doesn't he?"

"I guess so."

"Thanks for saving me from that conversation."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You weren't really cooking. You lit it so we would come to see what was going on. You clever boy, you." She replied, kissing the top of my head and bidding me good night.

I sat on my bed for the next hour thinking about it. I had never had a mother, just my master and the other servants. My mother had died in childbirth and my master never really liked women around the castle unless they were his. It was strange and comforting to have some affection other than just mercy.

"I'M WHAT?!" I heard the next morning. "I _CAN'T_ BE!"

"Calm down, love."

"CALM?! HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?!"

"What's going on?" I asked, walking in through the open bathroom door.

I saw Leila sitting on the closed toilet seat, thoroughly scared, and my master kneeling in front of her, holding a white stick.

"It-it's blue." Leila stuttered. That didn't help me, though. I had no idea what she meant.

"In other words, she's pregnant."

(1) A slang term for a prostitute.


	14. Oh, Baby

Recap: We last saw our heros... hahaha jk. I'm mocking those overly dramatic cartoons you watched as a kid. You know we all did. So Leila and Vlad get into a fight over what to do about this kid. They get in a fight, Leila kicks Vlad out and he starts to think about his decision. Confuzzled? Go back and catch up.

**A/N: **There seems to have been some confusion about how to pronounce Jean's name. It's not Jean as in Jean Gray. It's Jean as in the French pronunciation of John.

(Jean's POV)

Over the next two months, I was alone mostly. Leila was usually at rehearsals and my master was gone. I didn't bother Leila too much, just tried to help out around the apartment and stay out of her way. I did go to one rehearsal though.

Since I had never gone beyond the village by the castle, I had also never been to a theatre. I was shocked by all the movement and held tightly to Leila's hand as she lead me through the crowds of people to the audience seating.

"You're going to be our ears today, okay?" She said, finding me a seat directly in the middle of the hall.

"Alright."

"Leila!" A man called from the back of the hall. He was tall, even taller than my master, brunette, and blue-eyed. He jogged down to us. "Marianne got sick, no voice at all. You can fill in today, right?"

"Of course."

"So who's this?" He asked, looking at me. I looked up at Leila.

"He's... my distant cousin's kid." She replied, pausing an almost unnoticeable amount of time to think up an excuse. "His name's Jean. Jean, this is Ace, the director."

"He must be pretty distant. Looks nothing like you."

"Adopted son."

"Oh." Ace nodded. "So where's this distant cousin?"

"He had to go back to Romania. Business."

"Okay. Oh, we better get to rehearsal. See you, kid."

The two scurried onto the stage and the rehearsal went on for a few hours. Just before we were going to leave, as they were going over the last scene, something bad happened.

Leila was yelling at the woman who was playing Ellen when she suddenly doubled over. Everyone jumped to help, even I found myself by her, and I noticed that there was a dark spot surrounding the crotch of her jeans.

"Jean, we need to get home. Now."

I picked her up, closing her legs, and took her to Ace. I asked him to hail a cab since I didn't know what to do. He did so and I took Leila home.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Leila asked me. I bit my lip.

"I have no idea. We need to get you to a hospital."

"You know I can't do that. Human doctors would know there was something wrong with me." She hissed in pain.

"But there _is_ something wrong. I can't do an abortion and neither can you."

I drew Leila a warm bath and she put on a black swimsuit so I could sit with her. In less than a half hour, the water was a deep pink. I re-ran the water and tried to convince her again. She didn't reply, just grabbed my arm telling me to turn off the water and leave the room. I did as she said fearfully.

Outside the door, I heard a shriek. I started to open the door, but she shouted to stay out. After a long time of listening, I heard Leila tell me to come in and help her. I walked into find that she was a bloody mess and that there was an oddly shaped, blood-covered thing between her knees. As I got closer, I realized that the thing was what would have become a child. It was small and wrinkled, its eyes bugging out from behind its eyelids. It was about 2 pounds, maybe less, and I didn't want to touch it. I didn't even know what we were going to do with it. I started to wish my master was here. He'd know what to do.

Leila told me to get a rag and a clean set of clothes for her. I came back as quickly as I could and left the room while she dressed. I knew we would have to dispose of the body and I really didn't want to help.

(Vlad's POV)

The months away from Leila had been painful. Everything reminded me of her. Even lying in my coffin trying to sleep, I felt the emptiness beside me. I couldn't hear the sound of her typing or her singing. But, through everything, something kept me from going back.

Then, one night I was walking out in the garden and I passed the fountain. I touched the water with my fingertips and I knew I had to go back and apologize. I had been wrong and just too stubborn to admit it. I packed my things and left in the morning.

What I found was an empty apartment. I could smell blood, but there wasn't a trace of it anywhere. Instead of waiting, I decided to try to find them.

Unfortunately, I didn't. So I returned to the apartment and opened every window to try to rid the place of the smell. By the time I had finished that, the door opened. Leila and Jean walked in. I could smell smoke and pine on them, but I didn't ask questions.

"Vlad, what are you doing here?" Leila asked.

"Does it matter? I changed my mind-"

"Well, you're too late."

"What do you mean?"

"I miscarried, Vlad. I just burned the body... You were going to have a son." I could see her eyes swimming.

I hugged her, letting her cry desperately. I wouldn't ask her. I'd get whatever information there was to get out of Jean. What mattered was that she wouldn't have to mourn on her own.


	15. You Deserve Much Better

Recap: Two months pass. Leila takes Jean to a rehearsal and miscarries her son. Vlad comes back after Leila and Jean burn the body. We good? If not, you know what to do!

**A/N: **There seems to have been some confusion about how to pronounce Jean's name. It's not Jean as in Jean Gray. It's Jean as in the French pronunciation of John.

* * *

(Ace's POV)

After the incident at the end of rehearsal, I wasn't sure if I should let Leila stay in the production. Granted, she was only the understudy, but having episodes like that could cost us precious time especially if that kid wasn't with her. I felt bad, especially since I fought so hard to get her the understudy gig, but I had to.

I went by her apartment, a place I had been by many times before to hang out after shows. I knocked on the door and, to my surprise, a man answered the door.

"Can I help you?" He asked, just short of politely.

"Yes, is Leila here?"

"She is, but she's not going to be getting up. She's not in the shape to."

"Did something happen?" I asked, alarm rising in my chest.

"Before I answer, who are you?"

"My name's Ace. I'm the resident director of the theater Leila's been working at."

"Ah, yes. She's talked about you before. Come in. This isn't a matter to be discussed in a hallway." He stepped aside and I walked into the small apartment.

Something in the place hung heavier than usual. I could feel something was definitely wrong. The man motioned for me to sit on the man-eating couch (1) as he sat in the wooden swivel chair.

"Now, I need you to swear not to tell anyone. This is an extremely privet matter. I'm only telling you because Leila spoke to me before."

"What do you mean?"

"She knew you'd come to check on her and she wanted you to know the truth. But it _is_ confidential." I nodded, the man's stiff yet hurried politeness almost getting in the way of my comprehension. "Leila had a miscarriage yesterday."

I was stunned. "Who's kid? I didn't know she was seeing-"

"Mine. She was two months in and we met when she came to Romania. I was working at the castle when she came."

"...Are you the distant cousin?"

"You could say that."

"So you've been raising Jean on your own?" He sighed.

"Yes. But you're here to find out about Leila. She is turning down the understudy because she's... basically fallen into shock. They cremated the fetus and, when she came back, she went into her room and hasn't gotten out of bed since. I just had to go in there and try to get her to eat something." I stood up and started toward the bedroom. "You won't want to go in there. You won't be able to, anyway. She locked the door."

"So how did you get in?" He brandished a key. I held out my hand.

"I told you no. She's in no shape to receive visitors, much less face you after yesterday. She's been a bit violent, too."

"What can she do to me?"

"She's stronger than you think."

"... Fine. But tell her to call me."

"As you wish."

Without another word, I walked out of the apartment, biting the insides of my cheeks.

(Vlad's POV)

_"Is he gone?"_ I heard in me head.

"Yes. He's gone."

_"Thanks for keeping a straight face during all those lies."_

"That's been half my life. The other half was fighting and hiding."

"_So when do you think I should call?"_

_"_I'd say wait a week. He might assume things if it's any earlier."

I heard her get up and walk to me. She hugged me and sighed. She didn't start to cry as I would have expected, but she cried a lot before we went to sleep and I assumed that she felt cried out.

"What went wrong?" She mumbled into my shoulder.

"I don't know. Did you feed?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Were they on drugs?"

"...I don't know. Does that affect me?"

"If they were drunk or on drugs, it gets into their blood. It could have affected you. You didn't feel bad?"

"No. I bled a little, but I didn't think that was anything to worry about."

"Bleeding during pregnancy is _always_ something to worry about."

She sighed. "I'll keep that in mind."

The next month was quiet. Leila didn't have to go to rehearsals and there was nothing to prepare, so she wasn't singing much and she was close to finishing her novel, which meant that I could hardly pull her away from the computer.

_"Shackled to the wall, they could do little to defend themselves. Damian _(2)_, the son of the Devil, would win. Using the ivory handled blade, he dismembered each before Anna's eyes, then turned to her._

_"Are you ready?" He asked._

_She started to cry, but it didn't stop Damian. The crimson that puddled on the floor reflected in his light eyes and on his pale skin. He was drenched in blood though, miraculously, not a drop had touched him. Anna screamed as Damian approached. He drew the blade across her shirt, cleaning it of the other's blood. It sliced through the material, exposing her skin._

_"I think I'll keep you."_

(1) I think everyone has experienced an old, comfy couch that was very hard to get out of because it had overly compressed springs. That is the man-eating couch.

(2) Damian means "son of the Devil." I feel bad for anyone with this name. I think you should all change your name to Lucifer. It means "bringer of light." -^__^-


	16. I'll Keep You

Recap: Ace comes to tell Leila that he has to let her go after the incident at rehearsal, but only gets to talk to Vlad. Vlad tells him what's going on with a little lying laced in. Vlad tried to comfort Leila and they think it might have been drugged blood that caused the miscarriage. Leila finished her novel, too. Go back if this is not in your memory files...

(Leila's POV)

Weeks went by with little excitement. Of course, at that point I was hardly capable of feeling anything. I was... numb to everything as though I had no nerves. Blood was tasteless, a liquid more plain than water running over my tongue and my fingers could hit the keyboard hard enough to break the keys and I wouldn't feel anything.

Then, out of nowhere, there was a knock on the door. Vlad looked just as confused as I, so I went to see who it was. Looking through the peephole, I saw a man with dark, curly hair, light skin, and blue-gray eyes. My brother, Amir... Amir Lykaios (1) (yes, our parents were into the Arabic-Greek combination for names). I hadn't seen him in years, but I hesitated.

"Leila, I know you're home. Open the door." He said softly.

I obeyed, peering at him, carefully guarded. I gave him an upward nod, silently signaling him to state his business. We had always been cordial enough to not piss the other off too badly, but never huggy-kissy.

"I heard you were having some health problems. Thought I'd come to check up on you. I also have some news. Can I come in?" He said.

I moved and directed him with my head. He stepped in, stopping just inside the door, waiting for me to direct him further.

"Sit." I said. "What's going on?"

"Well, first, how are you?"

"Fine. Yourself?"

"Very well. I heard you were pregnant or something?" I sighed.

"Yes. What of it?"

"Well, you aren't married. I didn't even think you were dating. Who got you pregnant?" I opened my mouth to scald his ego for asking, but Vlad walked in and cut me off.

"If you really must know, I did. A complete accident, I assure you." Vlad said.

"And how is it that you managed to convince Leila to get in bed with you? The most virginal prude you'll ever meet?"

"Actually, I didn't. We got in coffin."

I wish Amir had been facing me so I could have seen the look on his face, but he was standing now, facing Vlad.

"What kind of... queer kinky shit is that?!"

"Amir, for a man who had always failed miserably as a brother and hated me his whole life, you are sure being protective. Why might that be?"

"Dad found out about your... accident and had a heart attack. Mom is withering away in his hospital room and won't eat."

"Oh, so this is all my fault?! Wait, Vlad, you told Ace not to say anything, right?"

"Right. He agreed."

I ran to the phone and dialed Ace. It rang three times, each making me more nervous, before he finally picked up.

"Ace? Did you tell?" I asked quickly.

_"About what? You mean-"_

"The kid, yes."

"_No, I wouldn't do that. I would think you'd send your boyfriend to kill me if I did."_

"Thanks, Ace." I hung up and turned to Vlad and Amir. "Who told father?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"YOU WILL TELL ME IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE!" I yelled, my hands twitching, aching to slide around his throat. Amir put his hands up in defeat.

"Alright. From what I can tell, it was the neighbors, Jibril and Hasana Mikhail. I don't know where they got it from."

"Jibril and Hasana? Those two gossip about things they don't even know happened. They make things up, for god's sake!"

" Obviously they didn't make this one up." Amir snapped.

"I'll be back." I said before phasing to the Mikhail's, not even caring that Amir didn't know that I was a vampire.

(Vlad's POV)

I watched in horror as Leila phased away, leaving me to explain what was going on to her raging brother.

"Calm down. Listen... Sit!" I pushed him into a chair, phased to get some rope and tied him up faster than he could think. "You will forget what you have seen, you understand?"

"Explain what I've seen! I don't understand - she just vanished!"

"We are vampires. We can do that. Why do you think you're tied up now and weren't a moment ago? She has undoubtedly gone to speak with the Mikhail's about this bit of gossip. They need some... disciplining."

"You mean... You really meant in-"

"In coffin? Oh yes. Your dear sister Leila hasn't been human since autumn. I turned her a few days after she arrived in Transylvania."

Amir exhaled softly in shock. His brow was furrowed as he shook his head.

"Then how is it that she got pregnant? I thought vampires couldn't do that."

"How wrong the stories are. No, vampires can become pregnant the same way a humans can. The only difference is that vampires have heats, not periods. About 3 times a year."

At that point, Leila returned, so nothing more was said. I noticed that she now had lipstick on, but ignored it.

"Well, that's the end of that." She said calmly.

"What did you do?" Amir demanded.

"Nothing. I talked to them. Father misunderstood. Apparently they said that they wouldn't be surprised if I had gotten pregnant. Father only heard the 'Leila got pregnant' part."

"I trust you checked this?" I asked.

"Of course. So, has my vampirism been explained thoroughly enough for this thick brute to understand?" Amir seemed insulted, but I ignored him.

"Yes. He understood enough to be shocked."

"Good. Was that all, Amir?" He nodded. "Alright. Assure father that it wasn't true so he doesn't suffer another heart attack and take care of both of them."

"You won't even come to see them?"

"Why so shocked? I'm basically written out of the will and neither have talked to me in years, so there's really nothing I'm obligated to do. You, on the other hand, have been the favorite child all your life, so now comes the responsibility. Have fun."

Leila grabbed her brother, phased him out into the hall, and came back. She sighed as Amir banged on the door and sat on the couch.

"Time for a psych down?" I asked, jokingly.

"Does it cost more if I lay down?" She joked back.

"It can cost nothing laying down." She made a face.

"You realize that doing it on a couch would not only be weird and uncomfortable, but would also leave us exposed for when Jean comes back?"

"Is that bad? It wouldn't be the first time and you know he would just walk out."

"He's caught you before?" Her face started to color.

"What? Are you embarrassed, iubire (2)?"

"No, it's just- you're not?" I couldn't help but smile. Still so innocent.

"You should know me better than that. If not me, then you're lore should tell you that most vampires are sexually inclined and not afraid of it."

"Well, I'm not. And vampire lore also says that we can't stand Christian symbols, sunlight, or silver. That obviously isn't true. How can I know what is and what isn't true?"

"I suppose." I pulled her onto my lap, brushing her lips with my own. "You will come to know in time."

Leila rested her head on my shoulder, her forehead at the crook of my neck, one hand around my back, the other tracing shapes across my chest. I smiled, remembering when she had used that to distract me before I turned her. Despite how things seemed most of the time, maybe the tales are true. _All_ vampires are sexual whether they mean it or not.

(1)Amir Lykaios: Just as Leila's name means "life dark as the night," Amir's means "wolf prince."

Side note: Quite a few chapters ago I mentioned the feeling Leila experienced when biting Kyle. Just so everyone knows, it is a very different experience to bite living, raw flesh than biting dead, cooked meat. It's difficult to explain, but the simple sensation of biting into muscle is VERY different. I suppose it would be something akin to biting into a large stack of raw fish.

(2) Iubire, according to my translator, means "love" in Romanian.

A/N: Hello, my lovelies!! Did you miss me? heehee I missed you. I'm glad to see that my hit count it going up and I love you all. Hope you stick around. The next chapter should be out in the next week or so.


	17. Oh, Brother

Recap: Ace comes to tell Leila that he has to let her go after the incident at rehearsal, but only gets to talk to Vlad. Vlad tells him what's going on with a little lying laced in. Vlad tried to comfort Leila and they think it might have been drugged blood that caused the miscarriage. Leila finished her novel, too. Go back if this is not in your memory files...

(Leila's POV)

Weeks went by with little excitement. Of course, at that point I was hardly capable of feeling anything. I was... numb to everything as though I had no nerves. Blood was tasteless, a liquid more plain than water running over my tongue and my fingers could hit the keyboard hard enough to break the keys and I wouldn't feel anything.

Then, out of nowhere, there was a knock on the door. Vlad looked just as confused as I, so I went to see who it was. Looking through the peephole, I saw a man with dark, curly hair, light skin, and blue-gray eyes. My brother, Amir... Amir Lykaios (1) (yes, our parents were into the Arabic-Greek combination for names). I hadn't seen him in years, but I hesitated.

"Leila, I know you're home. Open the door." He said softly.

I obeyed, peering at him, carefully guarded. I gave him an upward nod, silently signaling him to state his business. We had always been cordial enough to not piss the other off too badly, but never huggy-kissy.

"I heard you were having some health problems. Thought I'd come to check up on you. I also have some news. Can I come in?" He said.

I moved and directed him with my head. He stepped in, stopping just inside the door, waiting for me to direct him further.

"Sit." I said. "What's going on?"

"Well, first, how are you?"

"Fine. Yourself?"

"Very well. I heard you were pregnant or something?" I sighed.

"Yes. What of it?"

"Well, you aren't married. I didn't even think you were dating. Who got you pregnant?!"I opened my mouth to scald his ego for asking, but Vlad walked in and cut me off.

"If you really must know, I did. A complete accident, I assure you." Vlad said.

"And how is it that you managed to convince Leila to get in bed with you? The most virginal prude you'll ever meet?"

"Actually, I didn't. We got in coffin."

I wish Amir had been facing me so I could have seen the look on his face, but he was standing now, facing Vlad.

"What kind of... queer kinky shit is that?!"

"Amir, for a man who had always failed miserably as a brother and hated me his whole life, you are sure being protective. Why might that be?"

"Dad found out about your... accident and had a heart attack. Mom is withering away in his hospital room and won't eat."

"Oh, so this is all my fault?! Wait, Vlad, you told Ace not to say anything, right?"

"Right. He agreed."

I ran to the phone and dialed Ace. It rang three times, each making me more nervous, before he finally picked up.

"Ace? Did you tell?" I asked quickly.

_"About what? You mean-"_

"The kid, yes."

"_No, I wouldn't do that. I would think you'd send your boyfriend to kill me if I did."_

"Thanks, Ace." I hung up and turned to Vlad and Amir. "Who told father?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"YOU WILL TELL ME IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE!!" I yelled, my hands twitching, aching to slide round his throat. Amir put his hands up in defeat.

"Alright. From what I can tell, it was the neighbors, Jibril and Hasana Mikhail. I don't know where they got it from."

"Jibril and Hasana? Those two gossip about things they don't even know happened. They make things up, for god's sake!"

" Obviously they didn't make this one up." Amir snapped.

"I'll be back." I said before phasing to the Mikhail's, not even caring that Amir didn't know that I was a vampire.

(Vlad's POV)

I watched in horror as Leila phased away, leaving me to explain what was going on to her raging brother.

"Calm down. Listen... Sit!" I pushed him into a chair, phased to get some rope and tied him up faster than he could think. "You will forget what you have seen, you understand?"

"Explain what I've seen! I don't understand - she just vanished!"

"We are vampires. We can do that. Why do you think you're tied up now and weren't a moment ago? She has undoubtedly gone to speak with the Mikhails about this bit of gossip. They need some... disciplining."

"You mean... You really meant in-"

"In coffin? Oh yes. Your dear sister Leila hasn't been human since autumn. I turned her a few days after she arrived in Transylvania."

Amir sank into the wooden swivel chair behind him in shock. His brow was furrowed as he shook his head.

"Then how is it that she got pregnant? I thought vampires couldn't do that."

"How wrong the stories are. No, vampires can become pregnant the same way a humans can. The only difference is that vampires have heats, not periods. About 3 times a year."

At that point, Leila returned, so nothing more was said. I noticed that she now had lipstick on, but ignored it.

"Well, that's the end of that." She said calmly.

"What did you do?" Amir demanded.

"Nothing. I talked to them. Father misunderstood. Apparently they said that they wouldn't be surprised if I had gotten pregnant. Father only heard the 'Leila got pregnant' part."

"I trust you checked this?" I asked.

"Of course. So, has my vampirism been explained thoroughly enough for this thick brute to understand?" Amir seemed insulted, but I ignored him.

"Yes. He understood enough to be shocked."

"Good. Was that all, Amir?" He nodded. "Alright. Assure father that it wasn't true so he doesn't suffer another heart attack and take care of both of them."

"You won't even come to see them?"

"Why so shocked? I'm basically written out of the will and neither have talked to me in years, so there's really nothing I'm obligated to do. You, on the other hand, have been the favorite child all your life, so now comes the responsibility. Have fun."

Leila grabbed her brother, phased him out into the hall, and came back. She sighed as Amir banged on the door and sat on the couch.

"Time for a psych down?" I asked, jokingly.

"Does it cost more if I lay down?" She joked back.

"It can cost nothing laying down." She made a face.

"You realize that doing it on a couch would not only be weird and uncomfortable, but would also leave us exposed for when Jean comes back?"

"Is that bad? It wouldn't be the first time and you know he would just walk out."

"He's caught you before?" Her face started to color.

"What? Are you embarrassed, iubire(2)?"

"No, it's just- you're not?" I couldn't help but smile. Still so innocent.

"You should know me better than that. If not me, then you're lore should tell you that most vampires are sexually inclined and not afraid of it."

"Well, I'm not. And vampire lore also says that we can't stand Christian symbols, sunlight, or silver. That obviously isn't true. How can I know what is and what isn't true?"

"I suppose." I pulled her onto my lap, brushing her lips with my own. "You will come to know in time."

Leila rested her head on my shoulder, her forehead at the crook of my neck, one hand around my back, the other tracing shapes across my chest. I smiled, remembering when she had used that to distract me before I turned her. Despite how things seemed most of the time, maybe the tales are true. _All_ vampires are sexual whether they mean it or not.

* * *

(1)Amir Lykaios: Just as Leila's name means "life dark as the night," Amir's means "wolf prince."

Side note: Quite a few chapters ago I mentioned the feeling Leila experienced when biting Kyle. Just so everyone knows, it is a very different experience to bite living, raw flesh than biting dead, cooked meat. It's difficult to explain, but the simple sensation of biting into muscle is VERY different. I suppose it would be something akin to biting into a large stack of raw fish.

(2) Iubire, according to my translator, means "love" in Romanian.

**A/N: **Hello, my lovelies!! Did you miss me? heehee I missed you. I'm glad to see that my hit count it going up and I love you all. Hope you stick around. The next chapter should be out in the next week or so.


	18. Never Had a Friend Quiet Like Me

Recap: Leila basically goes emotionally numb, her brother comes to tell her that their parents are doing poorly, she takes care of a little business, and forces Amir to go away. We also had a mini lesson in Romanian. If you don't know what iubire means, you haven't read the last chapter. Go do that. I'll be waiting.

(Van Helsing's POV)

It had been quiet for months, enough time for me to heal well. Usually that meant Dracula had gone on one of his trips, but now that Leila was with him, nothing was for sure. For all I knew, the two of them could have drained the world dry by now.

Dracula had modified my body to, somehow, keep me alive despite time, barely feeding me, and beating me to a bloody pulp (by vampire standards). Since Jean, apparently, had gone with them, I hadn't eaten in all that time that they were gone.

I was surprised when I heard the lab/dungeon door creak open. Leila came down by herself with... decent food. I hadn't seen a real meal in centuries. She brought fully cooked steak, potatoes, and an assortment of other vegetables.

"Hey." She said softly, walking into the cell and closing it behind her. "Which hand do you write with?"

I tried to remember holding a pencil. "The right."

"Alright. I'm going to unshackle your left hand, but I need you to promise not to hurt me. Please? I'm trying to help."

I nodded as a draft wafted the scent of the food toward me. Leila set the food on the table by me and did as she said, then setting the plate of hot food on my lap. She had already cut everything up into bite-sized pieces for me, so I ate everything as quickly as I could. I was so hungry. Leila stayed, sitting by me, smiling.

"I'm sorry you've been neglected all this time. I thought there were others here who would at least feed you."

"Where has everyone been?"

"Samoilacry."

"Where?" I realized that I hadn't seen a map since I had been here.

"Far away. It's my hometown." I nodded, handing her the empty plate. "I'll try to be back at breakfast. What do you like?" Did she really just ask what I like to eat for breakfast?

"I don't really know." I replied, trying to remember what I used to eat. "Whatever you have."

"Alright. I'll bring porridge or something." She said, laughter lighting up her pale face. "Good night."

I admit, I was truly surprised that Leila was so kind. I just hoped it would keep up and that Dracula wouldn't stop her.

(Vlad's POV)

I watched Leila emerge from the lab with a plate and fork. I knew what she had done, but figured she was looking for someone to care for after her miscarriage, so I didn't stop her. I just wondered... why Gabriel?

When we went to bed that night, I turned to her.

"Iubire, why were you in the lab earlier?" I asked.

"I was... feeding Gabriel." Leila replied slowly, as though debating whether or not to answer truthfully. "He hasn't eaten in months."

"Why?"

"I just said. He hasn't seen food since we left."

"Why bother? He was still alive. I altered his genes centuries ago. He can go years on nothing and centuries on rotten meat."

"He may have tried to kill you-"

"And nearly succeeded." I interrupted, but she continued as though I hadn't.

"-but it doesn't mean he deserves that. You lived through it and you're completely unscathed. He's still... human."

"And you are not or have you forgotten that as well?"

"As well? What else have I forgotten?"

"That if he had killed me, you would not be here, much less exist. I keep him weak so he cannot break free."

"But you bothered to keep him alive? Do you need a bad guy, Vlad? Do you need some threat - some serpent slithering around your ankles?" That struck a nerve.

"I kept him alive so I could hurt someone who deserved it. I beat him when I cannot beat the person who made me angry."

"He's your whipping boy? Don't you have lesser things you can take your anger out on? Like inanimate objects?"

"Inanimate objects don't hiss and scream in pain. That's the satisfaction."

"Knowing that you've injured another being?"

"You're a masochist. You know how it feels to be hurt. There's a thrill in hurting and being hurt that you can't get from something that isn't alive."

She exhaled sharply, obviously sore at me. I expected her to turn away from me, but she didn't, she just backed herself against the side of the coffin and glared childishly at me. I couldn't help but laugh. I reached out to her and undid the lacing on her top without even touching her. She squeaked in shock, trying to cover herself. I moved over to her and slid my hand under her sweatpants, feeling the skin of her thigh.

"Vlad stop. You're scaring me." She said, her voice quivering.

I stopped moving, but left my hand where it was. With the other, I lifted her chin so her eyes met mine.

"Would you prefer that I do this every time get angry?" I asked. Leila barely moved, but I could see her head going back and forth. "I didn't think so."

I slid my hand up her back, earning a shiver. I saw her tongue flick over her right canine tooth, her eyes closed with the sensation. Masochist, indeed. Her fear heated her body and racked it with chills. I smiled, but thought better of a snide remark as I slipped her pants off.

(Jean's POV)

There was an awful lot of banging last night. I have never heard that much noise rack the entire castle, but I figured that was either a great sign or a terrible one. I waited in the morning, hoping I would see Leila and my master in one piece and was relieved to see that that was the case. They didn't get up until fairly late and Leila slipped off to the lab with food for two without my master. I didn't ask though. If it was important enough that I had to know, she would tell me.

(Leila's POV)

I went down to the lab again in the morning after a rather rough night with Vlad. I brought Gabriel some cream of wheat and took some bread down for myself (I don't really have to watch my figure, right?). He seemed pretty happy to see me, but was confused when I started to eat.

"What?" I asked when I noticed him staring.

"You're... eating."

"Well, yes. Am I not allowed to eat regular food?"

"No, it's just that... it's hard for me to think of a vampire eating."

"Then don't think of me as a vampire. I'm just a friend who happens to bring you food when you're shackled in a dungeon." I smiled, glad that he had strength enough to laugh.

I went in to give Gabriel food three to four times a day (they say it's healthier if you eat five small meals a day) and Vlad seemed to become increasingly jealous. He held his argument and I held mine, one as stubborn as the other. It made me angry that he failed to see that Gabriel is just another being trying to survive and just doing his job. And it wasn't like Gabriel had any advantage over him, he was only a human - not a werewolf or monster that would have been a threat. Most of the monster types had long died off anyway.

"Do you think you could bring me a book or something?" Gabriel asked one day.

"Why?"

"It's gets really boring down here."

"Alright, but I'll have to read whatever book first just to make sure it's not something that could hurt someone."

"That's fine. I just hope you can read Latin."

"You'll _not_ be reading anything in Latin. It'll be English only, sir. I'm sorry, but it's for my own safety."

"Don't bother then. I can hardly read English. I've probably forgotten how to read altogether."

"You're sure?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Alright, then. I have to get these washed." I excused myself, picking up the dirty dishes and leaving.

I knew very well that he would have used the Latin books to try to escape, so I couldn't give them to him. Vlad would certainly either kill me or set me in a similar place to where Gabriel was. One thing I had learned; NEVER cross Vlad Dracula.


	19. Mama, Papa, prosti

**A/N:** Sorry I've been gone so long and that this chapter is so short! I was sending my sister off to college and had little access to computers and I have NO IDEA where Leila and Vlad have gone. They won't tell me what happened next! ARGH! Maybe you can help me until they come back? PLEASE?

Also, the title is from a TATU song. It means "mother, father, forgive me" or something to that effect.

* * *

Recap: Vlad and Leila return to castle Dracula and Leila starts to make friends with Gabriel which makes Vlad jealous. He freaks her out with the idea of him raping her every time he gets angry, and Gabriel asks for books in Latin. Leila refuses, knowing better than to cross Vlad. Lost completely? Bye, bye.

(Leila's POV)

I noticed that the food around the castle suddenly disappeared. I figured it was Vlad throwing the food away to keep me away from Gabriel, so I just went into town and bought some daily. One day while in the market, I bumped into a woman dressed in dark clothes with a head covering. She was a short, stout woman, but her eyes struck me. I had known that icy green since I was ten.

"Leila?" She asked.

"Uh- No." I replied, putting on a thicker accent and making my voice lower. "J-Jenica. Sorry for bumping into you."

My adoptive mother, Accalia. So Amir had piped up about me being in Transylvania. Shit.

"Do you know Leila Sarikma?" She asked, more intensely. I assumed she had forgotten my face.

"No, ma'am. Sorry."

I walked past her without saying anything else. As far as I was concerned, I was dead to her. I felt a hand on my arm though, and it clasped me roughly. I turned and Accalia was holding me, her eyes boring into my matching ones.

"If you see her, tell her that her father died."

"I'm sorry. If I meet her, I'll tell her. I promise."

"Thank you."

She let me go and I phased home with my goods. I put them away and sat on the floor in the kitchen.

"One down." I whispered to myself.

I had known, of course. It was my doing anyway. When I had gone to erase the Mikhail's memories, I had visited my father as well. I could see that he wasn't going to make it, so I decided to ease his passing. I slowly decreased his heart rate and made his mind sleep. He passed painlessly and wouldn't have to endure the hospital or pain anymore. It was the last shred of mercy I could offer him. But how could I explain that to Accalia? How could she accept what I had become - what I had done?


	20. E Gran Ballo

**A/N: **We made it to chapter 20!! WOOT! Thanks to every one who has been a reader all this time!

I'm SO sorry it's taken so long to get this one out, but I PROMISE I'll get more chapters out. I made this one nice and long for you too!

Recap: Leila runs into her mother in town and we find out that Leila killed her father. We good?

(Vlad's POV)

After some coaxing, I got Leila to tell me what had turned her into a heap on the kitchen floor. She told me that she planned to leave the rest of her family alone unless they posed a threat to her or what she was.

"Don't worry about it." I told her. "It was the right thing."

"Everything seems right when you do it, but after... sometimes it doesn't. I just feel guilty I guess."

"It's alright."

"Yeah..."

"Don't forget that vampires are known for taking life. When it's necessary, you do what you must."

I stood, pulling her up with me. After a small snack of saved cow's blood, we discussed a party that would take place that evening.

"What's it for?" Leila asked.

"It's a celebration that takes place during the year of the red moon."

"Red moon?"

"It happens very rarely, but some years have 14 moons (1). We call that a red moon. This year, the second and thirtieth of January and the third and thirty-first of December are all full moons. There will be a party with all the vampires in the world save a few outcasts will be attending."

"What kind of party?"

"Old style ball. Many of the vampires are still stuck in the 1600's."

"I think the pot just called the kettle black, darling." She reached for my hand. "When and what do I wear?"

(Leila's POV)

I was a bit surprised when Vlad took me... shopping. We went to a small store on the outer edge of the town. The walls were lined with old fashioned dresses, corsets, and all the accouterment (1) for it. There was an old, knotted woman who was so bent over, her neck craned up painfully just to look level with the floor. She smiled with a mouthful of black and rotted teeth when she saw us. The look was of a greasy saleswoman who hadn't seen a customer in years.

"Need any help, dears?" She asked, her voice gravely with underuse, but sweet and oily.

"No." Vlad said quickly, pulling me behind a rack of huge dresses. "So look around and find one you like. This woman tailors like no other, but she might get a little pushy while talking to you."

"Alright."

I walked around the small store and picked a few dresses up before heading to the cloth door covering the dressing room. I slipped inside, Vlad at my heels, and stripped down to my unders. I pulled on the chemise and bloomers and Vlad helped my lace the heavy, steel-boned corset. Then, I went through the dresses; the jade green one with white lace, the light blue one with silver swirled embroidery, the pink one with peach trim, the gray one with red buttons and trim. When I laced up the last one, I knew that was it.

It was a French style 1700's gown, patterned after the royal tastes. It was black with a heavily embroidered crimson front panel with gold leaves and vines. The second layer of the skirt was black velvet with spider web thin gold threads woven into a discreet pattern that didn't distract from the panel or the low, crimson trimmed neckline. There were also black bows at the bottom of the bust, the stomach, and the elbows.

I looked at Vlad in the mirror, knowing he was enjoying the gown as much as I was. He wrapped his arm around my corseted middle and pulled me close.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm assuming you are too by the way you're staring at my boobs." I commented, seeing his gaze go between my face and my breasts.

"Well, there's quite a bit to look at. You've been gifted with a pleasant shelf."

"I can thank my grandmother for that, though not for much else."

"I think you'll need this neckline tailored." Vlad said, pulling it from the back so my bosom poured over the top in a more 1400's style."

"Vlad, that's more Anne Boleyn than Marie Antoinette. For a man who lived through it all, you're certainly mixing your eras."

"But it's prettier this way. I preferred the 1400's to the 1700's."

"Why? Because people were missed less when you killed them?"

"I was young. What can I say?"

"That you'll leave my boobs alone?" I joked.

"Now I can't promise that." I turned to face him.

"Try?"

He groaned at the puppy face I gave him. "Alright. Ugh, I hate it when you make cute faces at me." He pushed his lips to mine, allowing me to feel his frustration and his forgiveness.

"We should pay for this."

"Why? You said yourself, it didn't need tailoring."

"Vlad, you know how I feel about that."

"Oh, alright."

I pulled the dress off carefully, not really wanting to take it off. At that point, the old woman burst into the dressing room, wailing something about the horrible way it fit and how inappropriate it was for Vlad to be in there with me. She insisted on fixing the smallest pucker in the neckline and giving me a hoop-skirt to ensure the shape would stay. She gave a good price too. Only 150 American dollars for it. At that point, Vlad and I went home, the bag for the dress bulging against my side.

"So what time is this thing?" I asked.

"When do you think? The most infamous time for anything nocturnal to happen."

"Midnight?"

"Exactly."

I looked up at the clock and was disappointed to see it was only nine. Three hours to kill. I decided to go and read over what my editor had sent me.

The page looked like someone had bled on it. There were red marks everywhere... three hours would be nothing on this.

(Vlad's POV)

The hours before we had to leave were slow. Leila insisted on feeding Gabriel before we left and we still arrived a few minutes early.

"Care for a walk in the garden?" I offered. "They've kept them up nicely."

"We're only two minutes early. It won't kill them." Leila said. "Come on."

"Iubire, it's unfashionable for the prince of darkness to be on time, much less early."

"Nah-uh-uh. Ozzy Osbourne is the prince of darkness. You're just the prince, dear." She pecked my lips but led my into the garden anyway.

Avant's Garden. It was a beautiful place where many creatures of lore spent their evenings enjoying nature. It was enclosed in stone walls richly covered with black climbing roses only interrupted in four places where black iron gates opened to the north, south, east, and west. It was, at one time, believed that Avant's Garden was the center of the world - the orient of the compass.

Inside the walls were all manner of plants believed to be make-believe or extinct. Birds of Paradise, St. Helena Olives, Galapagos Amaranth, Nilgiri Holly... the list went on into the dreams of a botanist. Leila hardly blinked an eye as we headed to the stone bench beneath the weeping willow.

"So how late is fashionable?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"Maybe a half hour."

"Honestly? Ha. The unwritten rules of vampire princes..."

Leila laid down on the bench as I was leaning against the tree and closed her eyes. I did the same, listening to the chirping of the crickets and rustle of bats landing on trees. I smiled, thinking of ways to fill up the time before we made our entrance.

"What are you smiling about?"

The voice gave me a start. I opened my eyes and saw a pale woman with chocolate brown hair pulled back at the crown in braids and the rest hung loose in natural ringlet curls. The woman wore a late 1500's style blue silk dress with gold trim that floated around her as she walked across the damp grass.

"Countess Erzsébet. How wonderful to see you."

"And you Prince Vladmirious." She extended her hand which I bowed my head to touch my lips to my own thumb. I wouldn't taste the woman's skin if I were to be thrown in a fire otherwise. "Do tell who this woman is with you."

By the time I looked over, Leila was standing, her legs in a defensive position beneath her full skirt. I could see that she saw what a threat Erzsébet could be and was ready for a fight. I beckoned her to my side, feeling Erzsébet's eyes following Leila's figure jealously.

"This is Leila. She is a descendant of mine."

"Vladmirious!" Erzsébet cried out suddenly. "You never told me you had fathered a child."

I saw Leila flinch out of the corner of my eye. "I haven't. Bad business with Van Helsing."

"Van Helsing? Ha! I didn't think sodomy could provide an offspring!"

"Erzsébet." I spoke her name in warning. "He stole my blood and _made_ an offspring. You may ask him if you wish to know how."

"Why would I want more children? I had three that lived, if you recall."

"All too well."

"I suppose I shall see you inside? Enjoy the garden. I would have but I see you don't plan to leave."

Leila waited for her to leave then whispered, with a sneer, "Bitch."

"Always has been. How do you think she got the title 'Countess Dracula?'"

"That's a good question... Vlad?" She looked at me mischievously.

"Never!" I hit her backside, the petticoats making a dull sound. "I wouldn't _touch_ her if I didn't have to much less marry her."

Leila giggled and pulled a pocket watch out of her cleavage. "It's nearly time."

(Leila's POV)

Inside the party, the announcer had gone for some reason, so Vlad and I slipped in unnoticed except to the man who stopped Vlad at the base of the grand staircase that led to the ballroom.

The room was splendid. It was like the plainest room in Versailles - still dripping in gold and diamonds. The walls were painted ivory and deep powder blue with elaborate, rustic yellow columns and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The bright whites and yellows turned to a deep crimson red at the opposite end of the room where two grand gold thrones stood proudly. Both were draped with lush red velvet and the chandelier above it was made of blood red crystal.

Just as I was finishing marveling at the ballroom, a woman took my arm and led me to the "punch" bowl. She was dark skinned with wild red hair in an untamed cloud about her hair. She had broad features with terrible freckles across them. She wore a sea foam green gown with light blue frill that looked like it had been a table doily. She looked awful.

"Hi." She said, her voice gravely with attempted sweetness. "I'm Jane."

I had an overwhelming want to say "Unga unga. You Jane, I Tarzan." But I controlled myself...barely.

"I'm Leila. Good to meet you."

"Here." Jane shoved a glass of blood into my hand. "I hear they got this from a Brazilian car crash. Twelve car pile up and not a single survivor." She laughed cruelly.

I smiled and drank cautiously, tasting everything in the drink to make sure it was clean. I was trying to find Vlad in the moments before she handed me the glass, so I had no reason to doubt she would put something suspicious in it. Nothing. After the drink, I watched people dancing to oddly cheery music. A fandango, I discovered, but was interrupted by Jane again.

"So you must be... a century old? You seem comfortable in that dress; maybe two hundred? Come on, tell me."

"Actually, less than a year. Just this past autumn. You?"

"How are you possibly able to wear a gown like that and be so comfortable?"

"I was an actress. I had to do a lot of Shakespeare early on. I had a weird delivery when I was younger, so they got me to do Shakespearean patters to get rid of it." I was more than done talking to this woman. I was burnt black.

"Would you like to dance?" I heard a voice that accompanied a hand on my shoulder.

I turned around and was met with a dark wall. I looked up to find the face of a man I had never seen. He had ice blue eyes, light skin, dark, almost unkempt hair, and a bit of a five o'clock shadow. His hip (sadly) came to the bottom of my rib cage. Then, I remembered he had asked me a question.

"Sure." I said softly with a small smile. Anything to get me away from Jane.

The man held out his arm and I took it, letting him lead me to the dance floor. The music changed to a light waltz. He pulled me into position and led me.

"Thank you so much for getting me away from her." I said after a moment.

"Not a problem. You looked uncomfortable. She's a lesbian with a broken gaydar. She couldn't tell a fellow velvet tipper (2) if she came up and bitch-slapped her." He laughed. "So who are you, now that we're stuck together until the dance is over."

"Leila Sarikma. You?"

"Gabriel Roman. It's good to meet you. If you've been turned less than a year you must be here with someone. Who's your blood parent?"

"Vlad. Vladmirious."

"Oh really? Draculia?" I nodded, noting how Gabriel jerked when I told him.

"Is that bad?"

"Oh, no. It's just that he's had some - quite a few - turns go very wrong. His blood was too old - too pure. Congratulations for living past the first month."

"Er... thank you?"

"Do you live with him?"

"Yes."

"Who else is there?"

"Why do you ask?" I was starting to feel that this was an inquiry. Gabriel bent to whisper in my ear.

"You smell of a human. That goes away within the first two weeks of being turned. Tell me, is Vladmirious still keeping Van Helsing in his castle?"

"Why is it your business who lives with us?"

"May I?"

I was relieved to see that Vlad had touched Gabriel's shoulder, lacing his fingers with mine and pulling me away without consent. Gabriel had no choice but to let him.

"Let's take a walk, Leila. It's hot in here."

"Draculia." Gabriel called after him. Vlad turned. "Isht quin fout res mikhe tsik."

Vlad twitched as if to turn around, but exhaled and continued to the courtyard. I would have asked, but knew better than to do so while in earshot of the ballroom.

(1) This is possible. The days would be as follows on a leap year: Jan. 2, 30, Feb. 27, Mar. 26, Apr. 23, May 21, Jun. 18, Jul. 16, Aug. 12, Sept. 9 (my birthday!), Oct. 1, Nov. 4, Dec. 2, 30. Or you could move it up a day to Jan 1, 29…

(2) Accouterment: |əˈkoōtərmənt; -trə-| (also accouterment)

noun (usu. accoutrements)

Additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity: the accoutrements of religious ritual.

• a soldier's outfit other than weapons and garments.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent: from French, from accoutrer 'clothe, equip' (see accoutre).

(3) Velvet tipper: a "polite" slang term for a lesbian.


	21. Stories, Libraries, and Lore

_**A/N:**_ Warning: There's a bit of cursing in this one...

Recap: So, Leila told Vlad that she killed her father, he tells her about a red moon ball, and takes her shopping. Then, they go and Leila meets some peculiar people. One of them says something weird to Vlad that pisses him off and he and Leila go into the garden. Are you confused as to what a red moon is? I suggest you go find out.

(Vlad's POV)

The bastard! What arrogance, to think that he knows of my affairs. I wanted to know what Leila had told him, so I took her out onto the landing.

"Vlad, what did he say?" She asked. I sighed.

"He said 'I know you're keeping him.' What did you tell him?"

Leila stumbled over her words, as if trying to accurately recount what had been said. "He- he asked me to dance, wanted to know who my blood parent was, um... he asked who lived with us and said something about me smelling human."

"Did you tell him who lives with us?"

"No."

"Damn!"

My hands curled into fists as I hit my own leg in frustration and turned away. Leila took a step back, confusion and fear on her face. I turned back and apologized. I ran my hand through my hair, trying to release the dread and aggravation without turning violent.

"He means Van Helsing doesn't he?" She asked softly.

"I'm afraid so. Jean doesn't smell human anymore - he isn't all human anymore, anyway - so it must be unless you've had contact with anyone else." She shook her head.

"But why would he care? What's wrong?" I was hoping she wouldn't ask that. I was in no mood for storytelling, but now I'd have to.

"In about... 1889, I was known to have Van Helsing in my castle. Some members of the council didn't exactly like the idea of keeping a hunter alive, so I was asked to kill him. I never got any of their letters, but heard by word of mouth. By the time it got down the pipes to me, it was nearly 1900, so everyone assumed I had done it. I never said otherwise and no one has ever asked.

"Gabriel Roman has been... on less than decent terms with me of late. I tried to turn one of his descendants, Zaphire, and she killed herself soon after feeding. He never forgave me. Since then, he's been just short of stalking me, trying to find something to get me in trouble. I think he just found it..."

"So we have to get rid of him?"

"Who? Gabriel or... Gabriel...?" Leila laughed.

"If that isn't irony, I don't know what is. But I meant Van Helsing. We can get rid of Roman if you want."

"Yes, we need to be rid of Van Helsing at least. But..." I pulled her close and smelled her hair. She smelled like rain. "He was fucking with us. You don't smell human at all. Helsing has been in my castle too long and I've altered his blood anyway. He probably thinks that our reaction was proof and will start rumors. We need to get rid of Van Helsing before anyone goes to investigate. They'll probably wait a week before anything happens. There will be too many parties this week to celebrate the moon cycle."

"What do we do with him? We can't exactly kill him, but there's no place to hide him."

"... Actually there is, but let's return to the ball. We mustn't be gone too long or we'll be missed."

"Then would you care to dance?" I was surprised she asked.

"I thought you didn't dance."

"I dance, I just don't freak. I don't think that's quite this crowd's speed, anyway."

"Then let's."

(Gabriel's POV)

The night moved on, eating and dancing. I watched Leila meet other people who were equally surprised at her age and questioned her about rumors they had heard regarding Van Helsing. She dismissed them, saying that he was long dead. I had to stop myself from laughing. She _was_ an actress, and a good one. Finally, I decided to talk to her again.

"How are you fairing?" I came up behind her and asked.

She turned. "Fine, thanks." Her voice was full of venom.

"Why do you and your blood father keep such a distance?" I asked, noticing that he was across the room. "He trusts you that much?"

"I have never given him reason to mistrust me. The one I think he doesn't trust is you."

"Ah, and there we have the problem. Perhaps we can discuss this further on the landing? You seem to have gotten bitter with the heat."

'Don't touch me!" She pulled her arm from my grasp. "It isn't your place to decide who I trust or spend time with. Stop harassing me."

She turned away from me and went to get a glass of blood wine. I assumed she was going to cry to Vladmirious because he was there, but she said nothing, not even telepathically. She just picked up a glass and slid her arm around his. He turned to her and smiled (something I had never seen him do kindly), then kissed her lightly on the neck before continuing the conversation he had been in. I wasn't sure if that was an innocent gesture of affection or if they were together. It's hard to tell with vampires, especially Vladmirious because he's had so few successful turns.

Of course, that brought up another question - why were so many of his turns problematic? I knew he was always drawn to the weaker of the human race, but what made this Leila so different? Before I could reason it out, I was swept away by a willowy young man named Faren. I'd have to intellectualize later.

(Leila's POV)

I stood by Vlad and listened in on the conversation between him and Lydia Blackraven, the most innocent vampire I've ever come across. They were joking about vampiric legends and how unnecessary they were.

"The only difference between human lore and vampire lore is that you know the people in the legends... personally." Vlad said.

"I suppose it's better to not let them die off and not have their stories written somewhere." I offered.

"You should take her into the grand library someday, Vlad." Lydia laughed. "We'll see what she thinks then. It's a good 2 square acres and books are stacked on bookshelves, tables, everywhere. It's dangerous for a human. A stack of books could fall at anytime. But I digress. So how long have you've known each other?"

"About a year. I found her in Samoilacry."

"And when is the wedding?" I jumped slightly. I hadn't expected that kind of question.

"We hadn't discussed that. Vlad, what have you been telling her?"

"Nothing. He's said nothing. I just assumed. You two are awfully close and it seems to me that you lack no affection for each other."

_"Can vampires do that?_" I asked Vlad.

"_Yes. It's not done very often, but we do it. It's more like a public union than a marriage."_ He answered. "_Do you _want_ to consider it?"_

_"Maybe." _ I smiled.

The night moved along nicely after that. Gabriel had left and Jane finally shut up when she realized that I was Vlad's blood child, so no one else bothered me. Vlad and I finally went home at nearly three in the morning. Everything was just fine until I remembered that we had business to attend to.

* * *

**A/N**: Just so no one's confused, although Gabriel is bi, Faren is human. He was there as eye candy and snack material, nothing sexual. I couldn't find any other way to word it. Got it? Please R&R and I will update as soon as I can. I also reposted the other chapters with some minor corrections. I might do that periodically if I realize I didn't make something clear or if I messed up.


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